Passion Rules Us All,And We Obey,We Have No Choice
by bruised-tears
Summary: COMPLETE Ginny and Draco hate each other naturally, until they both discover they have vampire blood in them which leads to the unfortunate problem of a vampire's mate... full summary inside
1. It Begins

Passion Rules Us All, And We Obey, We Have No Choice  
  
A/N: I don't own the title; it's a quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The only characters I own are Blue, Frankie, Cass, Alyssa, Noah.  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Love/Hate' by Kelly Rowland  
  
Full Summary: Ginny and Draco hate each other naturally, until they both discover they have vampire blood in them which leads to the unfortunate problem of a vampire's mate. Once they sense each other they can't have anyone else, it's irreversible and even worse lasts forever. Trying to fight it seems to make their desire worse, brining to them both a whole new power not even Voldemort could have dreamed of possessing, and it won't be long before the final resistance breaks down and they give in to each other...  
  
I hope whatever offended you has gone and apologies again  
  
Never was the type  
  
to let someone like  
  
you get under my skin  
  
tried like hell  
  
but you don't care for real  
  
Chapter One – It Begins  
  
"God he's hot."  
  
Frankie sighed, her head cradled in her hands as she gazed at the two seventh year Slytherins sat in front of them. Ginny raised her eyebrow and bit her lip, they really were both gorgeous but complete and utter arseholes as well.  
  
"You really need to get over this, Frankie."  
  
She said, not even looking at her friend as she added a few finishing touches to the sketch she had spent the entire hour she should have been listening to Professor Dane perfecting. Frankie stuck her bottom lip out and shaded the left side of the heart she was doodling on the corner of her parchment.  
  
"Are you lot going to make any notes at all in this lesson?"  
  
Alyssa hissed irritably, shooting the pair of them a disgusted look as they continued with their drawings. Giving up she turned her attention back to Professor Dane who was now bewitching the objects he had been ranting about to float around the room in and out of the students so they could see them clearly.  
  
"What's the point? We have no idea what the old bat is talking about anyway."  
  
Frankie replied shrugging and sticking her tongue between her teeth as she concentrated on getting the left wing of the heart just at the right angle. Cass snickered from her place next to Frankie and nudged her arm so her pencil shot up the paper.  
  
"Succubus."  
  
Frankie growled, pulling her wand from her pocket and aiming it at the parchment, mumbling an erasing spell so the line disappeared. Ginny shook her head and went back to shading in the hair of her picture.  
  
"Well how would it be if I didn't help you with your homework or let you lend my notes for revision?"  
  
Alyssa said coldly, giving them all a stern glare very similar to Professor McGonagall's. The three girls jerked their heads up to look at Alyssa, and she lifted her eyebrows indicating she was contemplating being serious.  
  
"We'd fail this subject and have to take it as an extra lesson."  
  
Frankie said promptly, lowering her eyes so she was gazing at the worn table as a heavy sword floated past them. Cass and Ginny nodded in agreement giving her identical innocent looks that melted her slightly.  
  
"Oh shut up. And don't give me the Look, it doesn't work."  
  
She grimaced as the trio gave her the puppy dog eyes they knew softened her up. Cass waved her piece of parchment in front of Alyssa's eyes, leaning over Frankie and Ginny who had returned to their drawings.  
  
"I did work, see."  
  
She said triumphantly as she thrust her notes into Alyssa's hand as she stuck her nose in the air and poked her tongue out at a scowling Frankie and Ginny. They all turned to look at Alyssa when she snorted and pointed at Cass's work.  
  
"Scribbling 'I love Harry' down the entire page is not work."  
  
She shoved the page back at Cass still chuckling as Ginny and Frankie burst into gales of laughter. Cass stuffed the page back into her bag and folded her arms, glaring at her two laughing friends.  
  
"I've still done more than you two."  
  
Ginny sniffed and eyed her picture, finally finished; she grinned proudly and shoved her pencil and eraser into her bag.  
  
"Yeah the title."  
  
Frankie replied acidly, nudging Cass in the ribs as she shot her a filthy look.  
  
"Who cares about Ancient Mythology anyway? All we need is a pass and then we can drop it next year."  
  
Cass ignored Frankie's nudge and shoved her quill into her pocket, cupping her chin in her hand and staring down at the table with its layer of graffiti etched into it.  
  
"Thank god."  
  
Ginny chipped in; waving a long dark velvet shawl that was floating over her head away impatiently. Frankie waved her hands in the air in celebration and they all laughed, even Alyssa who had realised Professor Dane wasn't going to say anything else and was putting her things into her bag.  
  
"Wow, that's great!"  
  
She exclaimed catching sight of the drawing still before Ginny, causing the others to lean over each other to look too.  
  
"Hey, doesn't that look a bit like..."  
  
Frankie's eyes flickered over to the sixth year sat before them chattering idly to Frankie's obsession on his right. A wicked glint appeared in her eyes as Cass snorted with laughter and Alyssa eyed her with a smirk on her face.  
  
"What? Well I suppose it does a little bit."  
  
Ginny replied, turning her head to the side so she could look at the picture from a different angle. Her eyes jerked up when a large pale hand slammed down on the picture, making them all jump as they looked up.  
  
"Oh look, the weasel can draw."  
  
Ginny flushed and glared back into the amused grey eyes, slightly widened in shock as he took in the image of himself on the paper before him.  
  
"Sod off, Malfoy. And give me my picture back."  
  
She snapped holding out her own hand, amazed to see it wasn't shaking at all. She deliberately kept her voice and gaze steady as she glared at him, completely ignoring the fact most of the class were now watching them curiously, some gazing in amusement at Frankie who was staring at Draco's best friend with lowered eyes and a sexy smirk on her lips.  
  
"Well what do you know; it's like a portrait of you a mirror image, mate."  
  
Draco's friend said, slapping him on the shoulder as he eyed the picture over Draco's shoulder.  
  
"Can't hold that against it."  
  
Ginny sneered, making a grab for her picture and missing causing her to grab hold of Draco's hand. She blushed and dropped it straight away as longing burst through every inch of her from their brief contact, her face burned as he raised a smooth silver eyebrow at her. She had no idea where that feeling had come from but its intensity unnerved her and she lowered her eyes so she couldn't see his face.  
  
"It does look exactly like you."  
  
Frankie began, ignoring the warning glance Ginny sent her as she smirked mischievously at the two Slytherins.  
  
"She's got the arrogant face exactly; look she's even got that poor, lost lonely little boy you keep hidden from the world in your eyes."  
  
Draco narrowed his dazzling eyes at her as Cass, Alyssa, Ginny and Draco's friend screamed with laughter at the look on his face. Ginny's laughter faltered as she saw something flicker in the back of his eyes, something that wasn't anger, revulsion or hate which was all he usually showed towards Griffindor's.  
  
"Poor lost what?"  
  
He exploded, shooting a glance at his friend who was still rolling around laughing. Ginny dragged her eyes away from his to the picture still in his hand.  
  
"You heard her."  
  
Cass smirked, getting to her feet as the bell rang and swinging her bag over her shoulder. Alyssa and Frankie followed suit, Frankie exchanging a smouldering look with Draco's friend before wandering over to the door to wait for Ginny as the rest of the class filed past them.  
  
"My picture?"  
  
Ginny said once more, getting to her feet and extending her hand again placing the other at her hip. Draco glanced at her before shoving the piece of parchment into Ginny's hand before stalking out of the room with his friend still snickering as he followed.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-  
  
"Did you see the look on his face?"  
  
Her friends were still chattering about what had gone in their Ancient Mythology class ten minutes later while they were sat at the Griffindor house table for lunch. Ginny however was forcible restraining herself from looking over at the Slytherin table and turned gratefully to her best male friend Noah as he dropped into a seat next to her and pulled every food within his reach towards him.  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
She asked, eyeing his piled plate in amusement. He grunted and continued shovelling food into his mouth so fast Crabbe and Goyle would have been proud. Ginny shook her head and turned in amazement to Mason and Xander as they slouched into the other empty seats on her other side.  
  
"What's with him?"  
  
She asked, jerking her head towards Noah who was still eating at an uncomfortably fast pace. Mason shrugged and turned to his own food with a gloomy expression on his face, his long brown hair hiding his eyes from her view.  
  
"We just got a detention from Snape."  
  
Xander replied airily, tucking into his own Shepard's Pie with an indifferent look on his face. Impatiently shoving his dark blonde locks out of his humour-filled eyes blue he turned his gaze to Ginny who was stealing a glance at Draco who was as always surrounded by his fan club of girls.  
  
"Gin?"  
  
Xander asked around his mouthful of carrots, his eyebrows lifted as he watched her lips tighten.  
  
"Sorry, Xander. What did you do to him this time?"  
  
Xander opened his mouth to reply but was over taken by a furious Noah who had finally finished eating and was glaring up at the staff table where Snape was eating and idly chatting with Dumbledore.  
  
"Bugger all; the evil old sod can't take a joke that's all."  
  
He hissed, shooting death glares at the Professor as he got to his feet and swept out of the Hall towards the dungeons. Ginny jumped when a voice piped up before her and turned to look at Dennis Creevey who was settling himself between Alyssa and Cass who were continuing their conversation over his head without pausing once.  
  
"You set him on fire."  
  
Ginny stifled a laugh and raised a questioning eyebrow at Noah who blushed a little but glared stonily back. Xander shrugged and continued with his meal, almost immediately being drawn into an argument about the differences in football and Quidditch with Seamus and Dean who were sat by Cass.  
  
"It was just his cloak, he realised what was going on before it had even reached his ankles. It's not like he was in any danger."  
  
Mason said defensively, looking thoroughly regretful over this fact. Ginny rolled her eyes and glanced back at the Slytherin table, her stomach leaping when they caught sight of a pair of silver-grey eyes staring back. She swallowed nervously and broke the eye-contact; she'd had crushes before and she wasn't a virgin but this was something else. This was something much stronger than simple lust either; it was like a primitive hunger burning inside her whenever he looked at her. She could feel his eyes on her even if she didn't look to check if they were, it scared her.  
  
"Gin, you're spacing out again."  
  
Ginny shook her head and turned to look at Noah who was glaring at her again for not listening. She grinned sheepishly and purposely avoided looking back at the Slytherin table.  
  
"I said we're going to detention so see you all later."  
  
Ginny nodded and watched her three friends get to their foot and head slowly down towards the dungeons still complaining bitterly about Snape.  
  
"Hey, space cadet."  
  
Frankie snapped her fingers in front of Ginny's face and she turned to look at her just as the Golden Trio themselves entered the room and wandered over to them.  
  
"Hey Gin."  
  
Ron said, flopping into Noah's discarded seat and staring at the remains of his dinner with a doom laden expression on his pale freckled face. Cass immediately broke off her conversation with Alyssa and turned to Harry, giving him a dazzling smile that made him blush as he dropped into a seat opposite her.  
  
"Hello Harry."  
  
She said huskily, looking at him from under her sooty lashes. Ginny's eyes met Frankie's and they both turned away quickly, suppressing the urge to laugh.  
  
"What's up with you? Which part of Snape did you set fire to?"  
  
She said, turning to look at Ron who looked up at her in surprise, amusement alighting on his features. Ginny laughed as he immediately cheered up and turned to Alyssa to hear the full story as Ginny had been too deep in thought to take in any of what Noah and the others had been telling her.  
  
Ginny turned to study Harry who was deep in conversation with Cass about the Griffindor Quidditch team. He had grown up a lot lately, what with Voldemort returning and having to deal with Sirius' death, but deep in his eyes he was still the same Harry. He was taller now too, only half a head shorter than Ron but much more muscular. Whereas Ron was long and lean, his strength hidden in his slender frame, Harry was obviously well structured.  
  
His muscles were highly developed from hours of Quidditch over the last seven years and he was very brown as well. Looking closer Ginny saw a sprinkling of freckles on his nose and thought they made him look downright adorable. She'd been over Harry since her fourth year but she had to admit, he was gorgeous. His well-built body held an inner grace and his messy black hair contrasted perfectly with his sparkling green eyes that were either a very dark ivy green with sadness, a clear almost cerulean blue with anger or pure glittering emerald with amusement and happiness.  
  
Realising she must have been staring she turned away quickly to find Hermione looking at her curiously. She flushed and shrugged her shoulders and Hermione leaned in a little closer so the others couldn't hear her.  
  
"You don't like Harry again do you?"  
  
She asked, her eyes flashing with amusement when Ginny shook her head vigorously, her thoughts drifting to a certain silver-haired Slytherin until that same odd frightening feeling returned in the pit of her stomach and she pushed the thoughts away. Hermione grinned as Ginny spaced out again, lost in her own thoughts and studied her as intensely as Ginny had been studying Harry. Shocked by what she saw Hermione did a double take and eyed Ginny in amazement.  
  
Unknown to them all Ginny had grown up. Her once wild fiery red hair now flowed sleek and smooth to touch her bra-strap, the odd dark orange now changed to a deep almost blood-red colour that enhanced her silky flawless white skin, her freckles now almost gone save for a few over her nose. Her huge almond shaped eyes had somehow faded to a pale piercing jade that seemed to stare right through you when she looked directly at you.  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
Ron almost shouted and Hermione jumped and turned to look at him, the colour building in her cheeks as they all turned to look at her causing an amused silence to fall over the group.  
  
"Sorry Ron, what did you say?"  
  
She said, smiling at him and raising an eyebrow when he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.  
  
"I said the weather's great on Earth what news from your planet?"  
  
Hermione gave him a filthy look and tossed her head back so her long now straight locks caught the light and shone.  
  
"There's no need to be sarcastic."  
  
She hissed acidly, hiding her surprise when he blushed and lowered his eyes. Ginny rolled her eyes at the pair of them and got to her feet, swinging her long shoulder bag onto her shoulder and dropping her drawing into it.  
  
"Well I've got an essay to write on medieval weapons, the joy. See you later."  
  
The group chorused their goodbyes as she grimaced at the notebook Alyssa handed her filled with her notes from that days lesson. Walking quickly out of the Hall she sensed rather than saw the pair of cold grey eyes following her trek out of the heavy wooden doors and up the huge marble stairs.  
  
((Draco's POV))  
  
"Is this the most boring lesson ever invented or what?"  
  
His best friend grumbled as Draco Malfoy swizzled his wand in between his long fingers as he stared blankly at the clean sheet of parchment in front of him. Draco scowled and looked up as Professor Dane prance about at the front whittering on about some rubbish that when on thousands of years ago.  
  
"Yeah, closely followed by History of Magic."  
  
He agreed, glancing sideways at his fellow Slytherin who was nosing through a thick red book. Draco grinned and plucked the book out of his hands, flicking through to the back pages where there were pages and pages of the number one and the occasional number two beneath their names.  
  
"Blue, have you noticed we're on exactly the same number?"  
  
He muttered, pointing at the pages as Blue leaned over his shoulder to see if he was right. He prodded a section of the page and looked up at Draco with amusement playing over his handsome face.  
  
"Why have you given yourself triple marks for last weekend?"  
  
He asked, switching immediately into French as he glanced over his shoulder to see one of the hotter Griffindor sixth years staring at him. Draco scanned the page and thought back to the weekend; blonde, tall, nice body, virgin, Griffindor.  
  
He grinned at Blue who was still watching him waiting for an answer, used to his friend's silent pauses without any indication of whether he was going to answer or not.  
  
"One she was a virgin, and two she was a Griffindor."  
  
He replied smoothly, turning back to the book and flicking through the pages filled with names of their conquests; they were the two hottest guys in the whole of Hogwarts, and they knew it.  
  
Draco with his muscular body to die for from years of Quidditch, his long sleek icy-silver-blond hair that almost reached his shoulders and fell into place perfectly no matter what he did, and his sexy grey eyes that could like right through you if they wished was every girls dream of a white knight, except he wasn't the savoir part. More likely he slept with girls then dumped them, occasionally going back for more if they were good enough.  
  
Blue on the other hand was one of the few Slytherins the other houses actually liked, of course every girl in the vicinity had the hots for him and Draco but few from other houses actually liked them. Blue was a complete contrast to Draco in looks and personality, one of the things that pulled them together as friends in the first place, and he was entirely the tall dark stranger every girl hoped to meet one day.  
  
He had huge navy blue eyes that laughed with secrets only he, and possibly Draco knew about and a large drooping mouth that was formed into a heart- warming smile most of the time. His long, Greek nose was a smooth gold- colour enhanced by a dark tan, the slim silver loop in his left ear only bettered his beauty, and the sprinkling of freckles over his nose and beneath his eyes made him look younger than he really was and his shaggy shoulder-length hair only slightly longer than Draco's was a very dark black almost blue, and fell about his face in the most becoming way.  
  
He impatiently tucked his hair behind his ear and scanned Draco's list looking for any he had shared. He most definitely was the total opposite to Draco in everything but this, when it came to their sex lives they were both the same; both needed to have at least three girls a week to keep their self confidence going. Their over-bearing fathers may have given them the arrogance they outwardly swelled with, they were very insecure inside, a fact they generally didn't display to the public as they saw it as a weakness.  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow at Blue when he heard an intake of breath from behind them, he turned slightly so he could see out of the corner of his eye the four Griffindor sixth years sat behind them, one of which was Potter's side kick's sister.  
  
"Wow, that's great!"  
  
Blue's eyes met Draco's and he saw an almost predatory look flicker deep inside them that made him shift slightly in his seat before returning his gaze to the four girls. The pair of them waited a few seconds before starting what an outsider would take as a random conversation;  
  
"The blonde looks like she may have potential."  
  
He observed, not even looking fully at her as the four girls flicked their gaze over to the pair of them for a few seconds.  
  
"I'm betting on the red head."  
  
Draco replied watching them looking at a piece of parchment the said red- head had been scribbling on all lesson.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Blue asked, sneaking a glance at the red-head he spoke of and recognising it as none other than Ginny Weasley who was now blushing to the roots of her gorgeous red hair for some reason.  
  
"Why the blonde?"  
  
Draco shot back, his eyes on the four girls once more as they all looked up at the two Slytherins.  
  
"Fair Point."  
  
Blue replied, knowing better than to argue with Draco when it came to his choice in girls. He seemed to have developed an unnerving taste for the forbidden lately, more and more seducing Griffindor's rather than the bitterly disappointed Slytherins. Draco's eyes met Blue's and he gave him a roguish look that had Blue studying him warily, half in anticipation of what he was going to do and half in trepidation.  
  
"Hey, doesn't that look a bit like..."  
  
The two boys sat in silence for a few seconds listening to Ginny's stammering reply.  
  
"What? Well I suppose it does a little bit."  
  
Draco gave in to temptation and spun around, slamming his hand down on top of the sheaf of parchment making all four girls jump, the blonde's eyes immediately racing to meet Blue's assessing gaze.  
  
"Oh look, the weasel can draw."  
  
Draco gazed down at the picture, uncharacteristically letting his eyes widen in shock as he looked at the mirror image of himself on the parchment. She had him perfect, the arrogant smirk, the shadowed eyes hiding everything he felt and thought from everyone but Blue, the high chiselled cheekbones giving him the look of royalty and his long perfect hair every strand in place.  
  
"Sod off, Malfoy. And give me my picture back."  
  
He looked up to find Ginny shooting daggers at him with her eyes as she stretched out a hand for the parchment her eyes a mixture of an unexplainable strong pull of lust he himself was feeling and anger making them drop a shade to dark green.  
  
"Well what do you know; it's like a portrait of you a mirror image, mate."  
  
Draco felt Blue slap him on the shoulder as he chuckled the words at him, his head next to Draco's as he eyed the picture in amusement.  
  
"Can't hold that against it."  
  
Ginny snapped, making a grab for the picture but gripping his hand instead. Draco felt a shock of desire dart through him from her touch and he raised an eyebrow at her on the pretext of taunting her but really wondering if she had felt it too.  
  
"It does look exactly like you."  
  
Draco looked slightly to Ginny's right, his eyes landing on the blonde Blue was still eying up. His eyed her suspiciously and watched her warily, his expression remaining exactly the same as always.  
  
"She's got the arrogant face exactly; look she's even got that poor, lost lonely little boy you keep hidden from the world in your eyes."  
  
Draco narrowed his eyes at her and scowled as the four girls, including his best fucking friend burst into hysterical laughter at this. He winced inwardly as he realised how close she was to the truth, she didn't know this of course she was merely shooting into the dark. He noticed Ginny watching him, her laughter dieing as she watched him and he quickly emptied his mind of such thoughts, turning to the blonde with anger.  
  
"Poor lost what?"  
  
He howled, he glared at his best friend who was still two-double laughing at what the blonde had said, the fact that he was gazing at her with something bordering on admiration did not escape his attention.  
  
"You heard her."  
  
He glared at the girl with light brown hair that was cut just below her chin on the left but shot down in a diagonal line to just past her bra strap on the right side who got swiftly to her feet when the bell rang and dragged her bag onto her shoulder. The blonde and the other girl with long mahogany coloured wavy hair did the same, the blonde giving Blue a seductive glance which he returned with a wink before sauntering over to the doorway as the rest of the class trooped out chattering idly over the usual rubbish; Quidditch, one of the Weird Sisters recent engagement.  
  
"My picture?"  
  
Draco glanced down at the piece of parchment still clutched in his hand before shoving it at Ginny as she got to her feet with her hand outstretched once again, the other hooked on her hip in a thoroughly sexy way as her skirt rode up her thigh higher. Draco stepped away quickly and crossed the room to the doorway with Blue trailing along behind him still chuckling to himself.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Draco went about dinner in his usual way, laughing and jeering with his group, flirting with the girls who continuously followed him and Blue about. He turned slightly to look at a small raven-haired ringleted girl who was edging closer to him hopefully. He gave her a cold look and went back to prodding his uneaten dinner with his fork. He glanced up and caught sight of Ginny staring dreamily into space as the three girls from Ancient Mythology laughed and chattered away idly in front of her.  
  
He narrowed his eyes at the wave of yearning that washed over him from no where and he quickly moved his eyes and noisily joined in Blue's argument with Pansy Parkinson over which of their separate Quidditch teams was better.  
  
The next time he glanced over at her she was chatting idly with a trio of good-looking boys sat around her. He glared at the four of them without even realising he was doing it, his eyes meeting hers when she glanced up idly. They held each others gaze for a few seconds until she dropped her eyes and looked away, turning to one of the boys when he asked her a question.  
  
His eyes stayed on her as the three boys grinned and left heading towards the dungeons, only to have their seats taken by Griffindor's Golden Trio. Jealousy rose up inside him as he saw her studying Potter for what seemed a very long time, he tried to control his burst of envy but it burned into his eyes and his hands clutched his cutlery. He had no idea why he was feeling this way over her, he didn't even fancy her but for some reason he wanted her. And it wasn't just lust it was desperate, sweaty palms, heart racing, knees trembling, 'I want that girl' desire and he was only just keeping it under control.  
  
His darkened eyes followed her as she left the Hall, her hips swinging and making him suck in a shallow breath and swallow hard.  
  
"You alright mate?"  
  
Draco turned to look at Blue who was watching him, confusion evident in his big dark eyes. Draco nodded and forced a grin before lowering his eyes to his plate, the desire gone as soon as it had surfaced, out of the door with Her. He shook his head and took a large gulp of pumpkin juice, hoping to god he was losing his mind. He jerked his head up when a flash of dark red passed the corner of his eye and slammed down his goblet.  
  
"Draco, what the hell are you doing?"  
  
Blue cried, gazing at Draco as if he feared for his sanity when he jumped to his feet with his chest heaving and his hands balled into fists.  
  
"I have... to go... somewhere... I have to... talk to her..."  
  
Blue stared at him, completely confused; Draco hadn't mentioned a particular girl. Draco's breathing steadily slowed and he sat down slowly, looking at Blue with huge confused eyes.  
  
"No one... it doesn't matter."  
  
Blue gazed at him for a moment before shrugging and turning back to Pansy, keeping Draco just within his gaze in case he lost it again. Draco knew he was doing this and he was grateful, if he'd gone after Ginny god knows what he would have ended up doing, the thought of touching her disgusted him yet excited him and he was revolted when the very thought of her turned him on. 


	2. Blood Lines

A/N: as always I own none of the characters besides Noah and Blue  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Opposites attract' by Paula Abdul  
  
Cheers for all the reviews babes, I just had to write a story with vampires in cos I absolutely love them! Anyway keep reviewin plz peeps! Enjoy = ) Cheers babes xx  
  
I take--2 steps forward  
  
I take--2 steps back  
  
We come together  
  
Cuz opposites attract  
  
And you know--it ain't fiction  
  
Just a natural fact  
  
We come together  
  
Cuz opposites attract  
  
Chapter Two – Blood Lines  
  
"Noah!"  
  
Ginny bellowed, sticking her head out of her dormitory door and watching as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"You rang?"  
  
He mumbled sarcastically, squinting up at her as she raised an eyebrow at him, clutching her short towel tighter around her.  
  
"Very funny, I need you to help me decide what to wear."  
  
She snapped, giving him an adorable look she knew he couldn't resist. He sighed and made to start up the stairs, pausing when he remembered.  
  
"Noah Carne is allowed up the Girls' Dormitory stairs."  
  
Ginny said in a loud clear voice and he grinned before jogging up the stairs quickly as though the spell might wear off if he went slowly. He followed Ginny into her room and yanked open her wardrobe doors, staring in critically before pulling out a pair of tight black leather trousers and tossing them at her. He moved onto the shelves in the corner of her wardrobe and thumbed through her tops until he found the white one he was looking for and handed it to her.  
  
Ginny grinned at him and kissed him on the cheek before dashing into the bathroom.  
  
"How do you have such good taste in clothes?"  
  
She whined, her voice travelling out of the open door as he slouched across her bed and flicked through a discarded magazine.  
  
"Growing up with four sisters will do that to you."  
  
He called back, beginning on the quiz in the centre of the magazine as Ginny came out of the bathroom, her long red hair contrasting completely with her outfit. She ruffled up her hair so it fell in wild waves about her face and flicked her wand at her face where at least a dozen layers of eyeliner appeared making her eyes stand out vividly against her skin and a fine layer of glitter lip gloss coated her lips.  
  
"Like the top?"  
  
She asked, pulling the front down so it fell taut against her chest so he could read it properly.  
  
"Leaving me in bed while you go play Quidditch immediately afterwards is highly inadvisable if you would like my behaviour to be repeated in the future."  
  
He read out shaking his head and raising an eyebrow, she shrugged and grinned at him before grabbing her denim jacket from the end of her bed and throwing herself down next to him.  
  
"Are you alright today?"  
  
She asked, concern in her voice as he lowered his head and nodded, gazing hard at the magazine before him.  
  
"Sure, right now I'm trying to figure out who my perfect guy is."  
  
He said, indicating the open magazine and she laughed and pulled it towards her.  
  
"Hmmmm a score of fifty that means...."  
  
She scanned down the page and pointed at the centre box at the bottom, reading out the caption for him as he threw himself down face first on her bed to brood.  
  
"... You need to get over that guy he isn't worth it, stop looking for the attractive brainless ones and content yourself with that cute guy that sits in front of you in Transfiguration..."  
  
Ginny looked over at his back, his black t-shirt with silver writing standing out against the red and white bed sheets, she tilted her head and read what it said on his t-shirt with a grin; Sex is Evil, Evil is Sin, Sin is Forgiven, So Get Stuck In.  
  
"Nice top, I'll have to lend it one day."  
  
His voice was muffled as his head was still buried in his arms and all she could see was his hair splayed out over his tanned muscular arms.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
She asked, prodding him in the ribs until he rolled onto his back to stare at the canopy of her four poster bed moodily.  
  
"I said I sit behind Xander in Transfiguration class."  
  
He repeated, his eyes fixed on the worn pattern above him as Ginny lay down on her back with her head on his chest and her hands placed on her stomach, she could hear his heartbeat and it was so peaceful, she really didn't want to have to break the friendly mood but she knew she had to go meet her parents as it was her birthday.  
  
"Well what do you know, a secret love discovered through a trashy magazine."  
  
She sighed smiling when he laughed, something he hadn't been doing a lot of lately. She looked sideways at her watch and leapt off the bed dragging a protesting Noah with her.  
  
"I am going to be so late."  
  
Noah grinned at her and rolled his eyes, the amused sparkle once more lighting up his face.  
  
"So what's new there?"  
  
Ginny scowled at him as she struggled to put her other arm in the arm of her jacket which didn't seem to want to go on.  
  
"Damn this stupid bloody fucking thing."  
  
She cursed, finally ripping her arm through it and shoving her wand in her top pocket, dropping down once more onto the bed to pull on her heavy gothic boots that strapped up to the knee with numerous buckles and zips. After ten minutes of struggling that included numerous swear words Noah had never even heard of she finally did up the last buckle and pulled her trouser legs down over the boots and got to her feet with a loud clumpy noise, standing at least three inches taller now as she dragged Xander out of the room.  
  
"Shit."  
  
Ginny turned to look at Noah who was patting the pockets of his jeans with an angry expression on his face.  
  
"What?"  
  
She asked, her eyes on the clock above the fireplace as it struck eleven o'clock, al hopes of being on time now definitely out of the window.  
  
"I left my wand by my bed; I'll have to meet you there."  
  
Ginny sighed and nodded before dashing out of the common room and down numerous hidden passageways, leaping over several trick stairs and barrelling head first into a hard muscular chest.  
  
"I'm sorry, oh it's only you never mind then."  
  
She muttered, brushing the dust off her pants as she got to her feet gingerly and glowered at Draco, grinning when she realised she was exactly the same height as him. Suddenly realising she was practically pressed against him she took a swift step back and backed into the wall, the same wave of longing from Ancient Mythology sweeping over her.  
  
"What?"  
  
She growled defensively when he remained exactly where he had been a few seconds before, staring at her with something unusual flickering in the back of his eyes as he watched her.  
  
"Nothing, why don't you watch where you're going?"  
  
He hissed, not trusting himself to move as the urge to touch her was making him shake as he fought to control it. She scowled at him but didn't move, her entire body trembling with cold sweats as an almost inhuman urge to jump on him surged up inside her.  
  
"Why don't you, it's not like you didn't see me coming."  
  
She snapped rudely, every inch of her skin tingling with the hope of his touch. She crossed her arms and stayed glaring at him as he smirked at her.  
  
"I don't recall hearing you complain."  
  
Ginny felt colour creep up in her cheeks but she kept a cool composed front and leaned back against the wall behind her, bringing one leg up and resting her foot on the wall so her knee was inches away from Draco's groin.  
  
"Is there a reason you were slinking along deserted corridors while the rest of the school is at Hogsmeade?"  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow and took a step closer to her, splaying one hand on the wall behind her head and leaning in close as a group of fifth years intent on getting out as fast as they can streaked past.  
  
"I wasn't slinking, and do you have a reason for barging down corridors?"  
  
Ginny sneered up at him but hunger burned in her eyes and she matched his own cold gaze with hers.  
  
"Of course."  
  
She replied smoothly, her eyes never leaving his as he handsome pale face moved even closer, his hair falling over his cheek and softening it somehow.  
  
"Oh really."  
  
Ginny's heart was racing against her ribs but not a trace of emotion flickered over her features as she scowled at him.  
  
"Yes really, but I don't see how it's any of your business."  
  
She snarled, shoving him roughly away with her hands so he half stumbled back a step. He caught his balance and continued to gaze at her with the same smug expression on his face that was making Ginny use every ounce of control not to slam her fist into it.  
  
"Well gossip is my business; I've heard things about you."  
  
He murmured, walking in slow deliberate circles around her as she stepped away from the way, his voice low and rhythmic as she glanced at him over her shoulder. A hand crept up her spine and came to rest on her shoulder, one finger tickling her neck ever so slightly. Ginny had definitely had enough, ignoring the desperate desire she felt to leap on him she spun around so their faces were inches apart.  
  
"I've heard a great deal of things about you too."  
  
She hissed, their eyes making contact; icy grey against shining jade as he raised an eyebrow waited for her to continue.  
  
"Such as?"  
  
He prompted, half curious as to what she was going to say. She gave a half laugh and looked him directly in the eye, taunting him with her gaze.  
  
"That you're good at using your mouth to, but you're in dire need of some help when it comes to using..."  
  
She trailed off and her eyes drifted down to his crotch, slowly working their way up again as she smirked at him.  
  
"Other parts of your anatomy."  
  
He gave her look of half-amusement and half-anger but he never lost his composure, simply raised an eyebrow yet again lowered his hand, trailing it ever so slightly down her back. She snatched his hand away from her and glowered at him.  
  
"Bugger off Malfoy; I've already lowered myself to breathing the same air as you."  
  
He watched her for a moment before stepping away from her a smirk playing over his face as he surveyed her and she was disgusted to feel her body reacting in shameful ways to his gaze. Without another word she spun on her heel and stalked off down the corridor, once again positive his eyes were on her from the second she turned her back.  
  
The familiar smells and sounds of Hogwarts drove all thoughts of Draco Malfoy out of her head as Ginny wandered around aimlessly from group to group laughing and chattering on her way to the Three Broomsticks. She stood in the doorway for a second and glanced around at the crowded tables looking for her parents, she finally saw them sat with Dumbledore at one of the back tables where it was quieter looking distinctly nervous for some reason.  
  
"Mom? Dad? What did you want to see me for?"  
  
Ginny asked warily, eyeing her parents uncertainly as they exchanged a look before rising to their feet. They hugged Ginny in turn and gave her pleased smiles but she knew something was wrong and she continued to watch them as she dropped into a chair.  
  
"Would you like a Butterbeer, Miss Weasley?"  
  
Ginny shook her head slowly at Dumbledore before turning back to her parents who had their hands clasped together on the table top, Ginny could see her father's knuckles turning steadily white as he gripped his wife's hand tightly.  
  
"Well, you see dear. Now you're sixteen things are going to start happening to you, feelings and urges..."  
  
Mrs Weasley trailed off slightly, exchanging another look with her husband before snapping her head back to a horrified Ginny when she gasped.  
  
"Good god! You did not bring me here to give me a sex talk?!"  
  
She hissed, her mouth still open as she gaped at her parents who shook their heads and leaned further towards her. Ginny could see they were terrified and she was more confused then ever, what the hell was going on?  
  
"This is rather difficult, love."  
  
Her father said kindly, giving his wife's hand a comforting squeeze as another thought occurred to Ginny and she leapt right in, only barely keeping her voice lowered.  
  
"I'm not adopted... am I?"  
  
She stammered, colour draining from her face as thought someone had pulled a plug. She was getting impatient now as her parents once again shook their heads vigorously and glanced at each other.  
  
"Well it is about you're blood. You see my father, you're grandfather, married my mother who wasn't entirely human."  
  
Mrs Weasley trailed off once more and Ginny gaped at her, she wasn't fully human? Then what was she? And why were they only telling her this now? Something of her thoughts must have shown on her face because her mother immediately leapt in to do some well needed explaining.  
  
"My mother was, well she was a vampire. One of the last of the Great Protectors left on Earth before Muggles and wizards killed them off."  
  
Mrs Weasley's voice was a mixture of emotions; Ginny could detect pride at her lineage, anger at how her kind was killed off and a certain defiance mixed in with the others. Ginny could think of nothing to say so she didn't say anything at all; she just sat there staring at her parents, sensing there was something else that need to be said.  
  
"Ginny dear, you're the heir to a vampuric throne. You will be the Queen of all the Undead."  
  
Ginny knew they were joking now and she squinted up at them with a grin half-formed on her face. She couldn't be a vampire, if she was how was it that she could go out in the daylight and not be in pain, how come she had never needed to drink anyone's blood and why did crosses not affect her? She didn't realise she had said all of this out loud until her parents immediately begin giving her explanations for each question.  
  
"None of those affect you because of your other blood. You're half vampire because I'm quarter and so is your father, the rest of us both is human. And since you're the only female in the family as my mother was, it is only you that the vampire blood effects."  
  
Ginny was stunned; she sat back in her seat and stared at her hands clasped in her lap as thousands of thoughts buzzed through her head at the same time. She had no idea what this meant at all.  
  
"How is this going to affect me?"  
  
She finally asked, taking a grateful sip of the Butterbeer Dumbledore had just bought her and refusing to raise her eyes to her parents while she thought things through.  
  
"It means you're powers will begin to emerge."  
  
She snapped her head up and stared at them as her mother continued with her explanation, seeming thoroughly relieved her daughter wasn't about to start hurling things at her over this momentous discovery.  
  
"Well you're fortunate in some ways as you don't have the Thirst or the reaction to strong lights. But you will get the heightened senses, the ability to see clearly in the dark as well as in daylight, the extraordinarily fast reflexes and extra strength which you will have to learn to harness. And then there's the matter of your mate."  
  
Ginny who had been rather liking the sound of these attributes narrowed her eyes at her mother who was looking nervous again.  
  
"My what excuse me?"  
  
She said sharply, watching her parents as they exchanged yet another look and her mother's grip on her husband's hand tightened unbearably making Ginny positive there would be finger nail marks in his palm.  
  
"Your mate. Well when a vampire finds his or her mate, they stay with them for the rest of their lives which can be considerably lengthened. It is actually physically painful for a vampire if their mate comes into contact with another member of the opposite sex in a sexual way."  
  
Ginny folded her arms and glared at her parents who were both looking slightly sheepish; no wonder they had kept this little jewel till last. She felt a sharp twinge simultaneously in her heart, her head and around her navel above her belly button; she pulled back her top slightly and saw a vivid black mark etched into her skin.  
  
She stared in horror at it but at the same time she couldn't help noticing how beautiful the design was. It was what looked like a cross but the top was a loop not a line and it had the outline of a bleeding heart in front of the bottom line of the cross.  
  
"Albus! The Mark!"  
  
Ginny looked up as her mother gasped these words and she gaped at them when they looked completely calm as though tattoos just magically appeared out of nowhere all the time.  
  
"What the hell is it?"  
  
Ginny asked, unable to take her eyes off it as she ran a fingertip down her skin and shuddered in what felt like pleasure.  
  
"It's the vampire mark, only descendents of the Protectors have one. When you find your Mate he'll have one."  
  
Ginny slowly lowered her top and looked up at her parents, curiosity sparkling inside them.  
  
"What are the Protectors?"  
  
Dumbledore and her parents exchanged uneasy looks before Dumbledore rescued her parents from these murky waters;  
  
"They were the first six vampires ever created and were the last to be killed. For hundreds of years they protected both our world and the Muggle world from the rebellious side of their kind.  
  
You see Miss Weasley, there were some vampires, as there are some wizards, that thought they were better than Muggles and mixed breeds. They rampaged through both worlds slaughtering whoever they found unworthy of a place in this world. And in the Last of the Great Battles which I'm sure you will have heard about briefly in History of Magic?"  
  
Ginny nodded dully, completely enthralled in this revelation.  
  
"Well in the Last battle the only six vampires who were on the side of good brought together a last alliance of all creatures to stand against them. The Six led them into battle and returned victorious. But at a great cost. The leaders of the Rebels were furious naturally and set about assassinating every member of the Six's individual clans which consisted of natural vampires, mixed blood vampires, wizards, witches and Muggles, as they could find, almost succeeding in wiping them out except for one descendant from each line who was brought to my ancestor to protect.  
  
He kept them all alive, three girls and three boys and they grew up together, their powers developing at a steady pace as they had no idea of the conflict in other parts of the world. Eventually they married one another, the opposites attracting in the most unusual pairings."  
  
His eyes twinkled and Ginny narrowed hers suspiciously, wondering who her opposite would be.  
  
"The six of them finished their parents' battle and rid the world of ninety- nine percent of the rebels, the few that remained fled to caves where they slowly generated a weakness for the light, only being able to leave their holes at night. Hence the old Muggle tales of Night-Walkers.  
  
Alas the Six had not been successful as they had once thought they had, the surviving rebels found a way to breed with Muggles and sometimes wizards or witches and their lines gradually grew stronger once again which brings us to the Prophecy."  
  
He stopped abruptly and Ginny had the feeling he had mentioned something he shouldn't have. She let it slip for the time being and returned to questioning them about what would happen to her now.  
  
"Am I gonna get any funky dreams about this battle thing or scenes from the past?"  
  
Her parents looked up at her suspiciously, shaking their heads simultaneously.  
  
"You shouldn't, why have you?"  
  
Ginny shook her head; "Nope, I saw it in a Muggle film and just wondered if it might happen; I mean it looked cool..."  
  
She trailed off when her mother gave her a funny look before swiftly changing the subject back to her new powers.  
  
Ginny, her parents and Dumbledore were so busy discussing Ginny's new skills and the pros and cons of each to notice a figure swathed in shadows sitting alone at a table just behind them his face showing no surprise at what he had heard but his insides were crashing down on each other.  
  
He rolled up his black sweater and gazed down at his own vampire mark engraved onto his skin the same day as he himself found out about his roots. He downed the dregs of his Butterbeer and slammed the bottle onto the table, swiftly getting to his feet and sweeping out of the pub with his cloak billowing out behind him; he now had an idea what he felt when ever he looked at Ginny Weasley.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--  
  
((Draco's POV))  
  
The sunlight sliced through the heavy green velvet drapes surrounding Draco's four poster bed and he groaned and rolled over suddenly noticing the absence of his silver bed sheets. He sat up slowly as a tall figure already dressed in baggy jeans and a baggy green vest top threw himself onto Draco's bed almost squashing its occupant.  
  
"Bugger off, Blue."  
  
Draco growled, wriggling out from under his best friend and sauntering over to the bathroom in just his black silk pyjama bottoms. He quickly showered and pulled on a pair of black cords and a black long-sleeved sweater, performing a quick drying spell on his hair and leaving it loose around his face.  
  
Still bare foot he padded into his room making no noise on the black shaggy carpet. He grinned at Blue who was still sprawling on his bed helping himself to Draco's supply of wizard sweets and cakes he received weekly from his mother.  
  
"Haven't you gone yet?"  
  
He said, perching on the edge of his bed to pull on his socks and dragon hide boots.  
  
"Now now Draco, that's not a very polite thing to say to your only friend."  
  
Draco shot Blue a side-ways glance and snatched his box of treats away from him, sealing the lid with his wand and kicking it under the bed. Blue clicked his tongue and gave him a reproachful look.  
  
"Didn't your mother ever teach you how to share?"  
  
Draco snorted and punched Blue on the arm making him pretend to whimper and fall onto his back across the unmade bed.  
  
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to beg?"  
  
It was Blue's turn to make an amused noise in the back of his throat and raise a jet-black eyebrow at Draco.  
  
"Like we ever needed to beg for anything anyway."  
  
He said arrogantly making Draco laugh and nod as he sat up slowly and looked at his Rolex.  
  
"Well I'm off to Hogsmeade, got that cute little red head to deal with from Hufflepuff."  
  
He winked at Draco and blew him a mocking kiss as he swept out of the room making Draco chuckle and pull on his own black designer cloak. He shoved his wand into his pocket followed Blue out of the Slytherin common room, nodding in acknowledgement at Pansy and her cronies and quickly avoiding Crabbe and Goyle as they lumbered to their feet to follow him.  
  
He made a quick detour up to the prefects bathroom on the floor above and was on his way back down when a head of red hair and a black and white figure came hurtling around the corner running smack into him. He only just remained on his feet as the girl sprawled onto the floor at his feet.  
  
He watched her get to her feet and he knew even before he saw her face by the plummeting of his stomach that it was Ginny.  
  
"I'm sorry, oh it's only you never mind then."  
  
He watched her carefully as she got to her feet and brushed some marks off her tight leather pants, glowering at him as she stood up, their eyes level.  
  
"What?"  
  
She snarled, watching him as he kept his eyes on her, all kinds of forbidden emotions bouncing around his body and head.  
  
"Nothing, why don't you watch where you're going?"  
  
He finally sneered, physically preventing himself from touching her, his muscles coiled under his skin as though in preparation for him pouncing.  
  
"Why don't you, it's not like you didn't see me coming."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her when she folded her arms and glowered at him looking thoroughly pissed off about something he couldn't guess.  
  
"I don't recall hearing you complain."  
  
He watched her flush as she took a step back and leant against the wall behind her, resting one foot on the wall, her knee almost touching his crotch.  
  
"Is there a reason you were slinking along deserted corridors while the rest of the school is at Hogsmeade?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her again and took a step towards her as a group of what looked like fifth or fourth years rushed past, chattering at the top of their voices in the most annoying way.  
  
"I wasn't slinking, and do you have a reason for barging down corridors?"  
  
He saw her look up at him, the same passion he felt burning inside him filling her darkened eyes.  
  
"Of course."  
  
He leaned in closer towards her, not wanting to break the tension to brush back a lock of hair that fell over his face.  
  
"Oh really."  
  
He smirked at her as he edged closer.  
  
"Yes really, but I don't see how it's any of your business."  
  
He stumbled back when she placed both hands on his chest and shoved him, only just keeping on his feet again as she stepped out from against the wall.  
  
"Well gossip is my business; I've heard things about you."  
  
He began circling her as he spoke, placing a hand on the small of her back and trailing it up her spine before resting it on her shoulder, his index finger caressing her neck with a feather light touch. He controlled his jump when she spun on her heel to face him, his face mere inches from hers.  
  
"I've heard a great deal of things about you too."  
  
He wasn't remotely surprised at this, just intrigued as to what exactly she had heard.  
  
"Such as?"  
  
She gave him a scornful laugh and a mocking look he would have been proud of if it had come from anyone else before continuing.  
  
"That you're good at using your mouth to, but you're in dire need of some help when it comes to using..."  
  
His lips tightened almost invisibly but he didn't say anything as he waited for her to finish her insult.  
  
"Other parts of your anatomy."  
  
He again didn't say anything when she had done, just lowered his hand down her back, feeling her shudder with pleasure before she snatched his hand away.  
  
"Bugger off Malfoy; I've already lowered myself to breathing the same air as you."  
  
He watched her go as she stalked off down the corridor; somehow sure she knew he was watching her even though she didn't turn around once.  
  
Wandering slowly through Hogsmeade he caught sight of her a little way ahead of him chatting with a group of friends before darting off to another. He was just about to make a cutting remark when she wavered away from the group and headed for the Three Broomsticks, after a hesitant second debating with himself he turned sharp left and followed her inside.  
  
Nodding at various Slytherins he recognised on his way he weaved his way through the tables to the very back where he dropped down unnoticed at a table next to where Dumbledore and Ginny's parents were greeting Ginny. He waved a hand imperiously at Madam Rosmerta who blushed and scuttled over with a bottle of Butterbeer which she placed lovingly before him.  
  
His sensitive ears could easily pick up exactly what was being said at Ginny's table, despite the noise of the crowded bar. He snorted into his bottle when he heard Ginny accuse her parents of giving her a sex talk which he would have found very amusing to listen to, and then she demanded to know if they had adopted her.  
  
The moment he heard the words 'vampire' and 'Great Protectors' he sat up a little straighter in his chair and shifted ever so slightly to the right so he could hear with both ears as the conversation just got more interesting.  
  
It couldn't be! It just wasn't possible! He listened to Mrs Weasley's talk, so similar to the one his own parents had given him less than a year before, with a sinking heart. When he heard Ginny give a pained gasp he knew she was receiving the mark he had woken up with on his sixteenth birthday. And no sooner had he thought this than Mrs Weasley gave a gasp of her own and he managed to distinguish a few words she whispered to Dumbledore.  
  
"Albus! The Mark!"  
  
Without waiting any longer he slowly pulled back his top to look at his own mark which had been burning steadily every time Ginny had spoken. Surveying it for a few seconds he drained his Butterbeer bottle and threw back his seat, sweeping out of the pub without a backward glance, his top once more covering the mark of his annoying ancestry. 


	3. Four of Six

A/N: as always I own none of the characters besides Noah, Blue, Alyssa  
  
The lyrics are from by 'Prophetic Revelations' by Pestilence  
  
Thanx for all the reviews ppl, you all rock! I didn't do this chapter from Draco's point of view because it's already like 11 pages long and there isn't much else left for him to do or say that helps the storyline lol  
  
Chapter Three– Four of Six  
  
Immortal ones watch chaos prevail  
  
Decades of darkness will come  
  
Taking over the lives on earth  
  
There will be none  
  
Truth for the quest  
  
Not to reach by the mind of men  
  
Prophecies for a dying race  
  
Fear of the predictions from then  
  
"Noah, I'm totally clueless; what's this homework for Snape meant to be about?"  
  
Noah looked up from his seat next to Ginny at the Griffindor table and shook his head. Leaning back in his chair and dropping his quill down onto the parchment with his hands over his face, pressing the heels of his palms into his eye sockets.  
  
"I'm not helping you with your Potions essay." He mumbled dropping his hands and squinting over at Ginny.  
  
Ginny's brow creased and she looked across at him as he ran a hand through his ruffled hair making it stand up on end.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
He shrugged his shoulders, slammed his Potions book closed in frustration and shoved his half-written essay away in disgust making Ginny jump and a second year sat alone studying a little further down the table look up in surprise.  
  
"'Cause I don't understand it any more than you do."  
  
Ginny sighed and looked down at her paper; she had struggled for two days and had finally managed to scrape together the three rolls of parchment needed for her Potions essay but she had no idea whether it was even on the right thing.  
  
Noah sighed and glanced longingly across the room and out of the window at the Quidditch pitch across the grounds where a group of Griffindors had taken over the pitch for the day and were joking around before the start of a new school week tomorrow. Rindy, Mason's sister from the year below them sniffed from Ginny's left and she looked up at her, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
Rindy shook her head, gazing blankly at her hands entwined in her lap. Her eyes were reddened and puffy and her face blotchy from all the tears she'd shed over the last week.  
  
"Why did he do it? I just don't understand..." She trailed off and Ginny felt her stiffen as a group of Slytherin girls walked by whispering loudly enough for them all to hear.  
  
"I heard she walked in on you."  
  
Rindy's hands tightened their grip on her clothes and Ginny's hand bit into her shoulder as she gripped it harder, her face flushing in anger.  
  
"Can't have been nice."  
  
Tears built up in her eyes again and Mason, sensing his sister's misery and knowing there was nothing he could do besides pummelling the cause to a pulp, glared at the girls.  
  
"Who cares, she didn't deserve him anyway, I can't help it if he was attracted to me can I?"  
  
Ginny's sorrow for her usually upbeat friend turned to blind cold anger and she looked up at the girls, her eyes a blazing bottle green and seeming to throw off angry sparks. She could feel her new strength building inside her and she used all the force she could muster to keep it down.  
  
"Hey whores, why don't you go work a different corner?" She snarled, shooting daggers at the girls with her eyes as her nails lengthened and turned a dull black colour, a sure sign her temper was rising and she was pretty sure her pupils would change to vertical slits if she carried on.  
  
Lowering her eyes as the three girls gave her a filthy look and flounced off still muttering she watched her nails slide back under her skin and her breathing steadied.  
  
"Why her? I know she's a Slytherin but she was supposed to be my friend."  
  
Shaking the last of her extra energy out of her head Ginny turned to look at Rindy, unable to think of anything to say so she didn't say a word, Mason and Noah looked at each other uncomfortably; situations like these weren't their strong point.  
  
"Rindy?" A voice spoke softly to the top of Rindy's head and everyone looked up; Ginny only just grabbed the back of Mason's shirt before he leapt on the owner of the voice.  
  
A tall, burly blond boy was standing looking incredibly awkward with his hands thrust into his pockets, his eyes on the floor and the colour building in his cheeks.  
  
"I can't talk to you..." Rindy began before giving a sob and leaping to her feet, racing blindly towards the common room with Mason hurtling after her, insane with worry.  
  
Ginny felt her anger building again and she took long silent deep breaths to stop herself from changing.  
  
"Get away from her!" She snarled.  
  
He looked over at her in surprise, assessing her with his eyes warily as her own flashed dangerously. She could feel the Change her anger brought beginning and she fought desperately against it, Changing in the centre of the Great Hall would not be a bloody good move.  
  
"I mean it, don't make me hurt you."  
  
He smiled nervously; well aware of how good she was at Fencing Class and not liking the look in her scorching eyes at all.  
  
"You wouldn't dare." He muttered, casting a wary glance at Noah who was staring from one to the other, his body tense in his chair as he prepared himself to physically knock the boy out of the way if Ginny began to Change and she would definitely kill him otherwise.  
  
"Try me! Look just leave her alone." Ginny growled, balling her hands into fists and glaring up at him, her long nails cutting into the soft flesh of her palms and drawing blood that trickled down her wrists.  
  
He opened his mouth, closed it again then re-opened it before looking up at her, his eyes were blank but Ginny was sure he had hold of his wand in his pocket just in case.  
  
"I just want to talk to her."  
  
Ginny's mouth dropped open in surprise; he couldn't be serious, she got slowly to her feet, still forcibly restraining herself from Changing as she had been steadily learning to over the past week since her first Change on her birthday.  
  
"Well you should have thought of that before you hooked up with one of her best friends! Jackass." She hissed, her eyes growing slightly in her face, not enough to be noticed unless you were looking for it but enough to unnerve Noah, and once more throwing off sparks as her skin began to take on a lighter shade.  
  
The boy looked at her almost in shock, he didn't seem to be able to find anything to say to her so he shrugged and walked off, not looking back.  
  
"Wow, how depressed do you two look?" Alyssa said, cocking an eyebrow up at the pair of them as Xander and herself dropped down into seats opposite them.  
  
Ginny shook her head at her, slouched back into her seat and closed her eyes as her nails retracted and her eyes returned to normal. She dropped her pen onto the table and glared at the stupid essay still lying there innocently.  
  
"Hey Ginny."  
  
A shadow passed over the four friends and Ginny flushed as she looked over Xander's head at a grinning Pike. Not that she'd ever admit to anyone ever, but she had an enormous crush on the handsome Ravenclaw seventh year and had been trying her hardest to make him notice her without drawing too much attention from her friends but they still knew anyway; it was practically common knowledge.  
  
"Oh, hi."  
  
She replied in a would-be casual voice but Noah was nudging her and Xander kept winking at her every time she looked up so she couldn't calm herself down enough to act untroubled by his presence.  
  
"I was thinking of heading out to Hogsmeade, just wondered if you wanted to come?"  
  
His voice was steady and his face calm but Ginny could see the tension in his eyes and she opened her mouth to say yes before her eyes landed on her essay. The smile dropped from her face and she mumbled resentfully;  
  
"I'd love to, but I have to finish this essay for Snape."  
  
Pike's face fell slightly before he controlled himself and grinned back at her, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"Oh well, maybe next time. I'm not leaving for a few minutes anyway so if you finish early, I'll be in the Entrance Hall."  
  
Ginny's heart leapt as she nodded and watched him walk away, noting how many girls watched him as he went past. Once he was safely on the other side of the Great Hall she dropped her grin and let her head fall onto the table, banging it once or twice.  
  
"Ginny? What are you doing?" Alyssa cried looking at her as though she feared for her sanity, she quickly grabbed someone's owl from the table as it landed on Ginny's essay and handed it to its owner who was a blushing first year stammering as she stared at Noah in awe.  
  
"Oh what if he never asks me again? If he doesn't I will have to kill myself, you realise this don't you?" Ginny replied, her voice muffled as her head was still face-down on the table.  
  
Alyssa looked at the top of her head and at Noah, still gazing out at the Quidditch pitch with such longing on his face she would have thought his favourite team were playing out there, she shook her head and held out a hand before them both.  
  
"Huh?" Noah made a funny noise at the back of his throat and looked at Alyssa warily. Ginny raised her head and looked from Noah to Alyssa.  
  
"Give me your essays; I'll look over them and check you haven't made any major stupid mistakes. There's no way you'll ever do any more on them now."  
  
Though she was trying her best to hide it, there was a glint of amusement in her eyes as they both dutifully handed over their essays.  
  
"Go on then."  
  
Ginny looked up in time to see Pike making his way towards the door away from his group of friends and she began shoving her things into her bag.  
  
"You..." She began, looking over at Alyssa who had already scribbled some changes on Noah's essay and who now looked up. "Are a brilliant person. And one day, people are going to write stories about you!"  
  
She leapt to her feet, kissed Alyssa on the cheek and dashed out of the Hall, catching up with Pike just as he was about to leave through the huge front doors thrown wide open. Hearing her call his name he turned and grinned at her, leaning against the wall outside as he waited for her to catch up.  
  
"I thought you had an essay to finish?"  
  
Ginny smiled and shrugged her shoulders waving a hand vaguely at the wall where the Great Hall was before falling into a steady pace walking along besides him. Easy chatter flowing between them as Ginny somehow managed to control her blushes and keep her hands from shaking at his close proximity.  
  
=-=-=-=-=-=  
  
They spent the day laughing and joking around; flitting from one social group to another so fast Ginny's head was spinning by the time they returned to the castle. She didn't try and resist him when he gripped her hand as he walked her up to the Fat Lady's portrait. At the end of the corridor he stopped and spun her around, backing her into the wall with one swift move.  
  
When he lowered his head towards hers she leant up slightly so their lips made contact quicker, his hands creeping to pull up her shirt as he pressed her against the wall. Her eyes flew open when he made to rip her shirt open with one hand and his other sneaked up her skirt and she pushed his hands away, only just able to breathe as his lips attacked hers. She broke away and his lips moved down to her neck, biting into her skin in a harsher way than she had ever felt before.  
  
"Pike stop!" She mumbled, shoving him away from her in increasing urgency as he pinned her arms to her sides with his large strong hands.  
  
She began wriggling like a wild cat, feeling the heat of her angry vampire blood bubble inside her and she tried desperately to control it. He must have felt her skin heat up rapidly because let out a muffled cry and moved away from her swiftly, his lips swollen and bruising from his attack on her neck.  
  
"Get away from here." She snarled, feeling the heat drain as fast as it had come from her skin as it faded to a pearly white, her freckles temporarily disappearing as she felt every hair on her skin rise up.  
  
She gave a half-gasp of shock when Draco stepped out from the shadows and dragged Pike away, shoving him down the stairs and hissing at him to get going and never to mention what he was seeing to anyone or he'd have the whole of Slytherin on his ass.  
  
Ginny's body convulsed and her cloud of blood-red waves whipped about her face as though she was caught in a storm. She felt her eyesight cloud over in a haze of fiery red and swirling black and knew she was too far into the Change to stop herself now. Slowly her eyes flickered open and she stared at Draco through changed eyes.  
  
A cloud of red and black mist seeped around her, blocking her view of anything and preventing anyone from seeing her as she spun around and around with her feet raised slightly off the ground.  
  
Her pupils were two diagonal black slits in a haze of red with what looked like miniature orange waves crashing around in them. They settled after a few seconds and returned to their normal pale green colour even as her pupils remained slits and sparks flashed inside them as they widened and grew in her face until they were nearly twice their normal size. She flexed her fingers and glanced down at her white skin, it had taken on a faint red tinge and was tightening slightly as her muscles stretched and grew beneath her skin.  
  
His eyes snapped down to her hands which were now at her sides, the fingers looked twice as strong as normal and had grown a little, her nails curving over slightly and fading into a dark red colour. Her mark pulsed as though her entire heartbeat had shifted to that one place before returning to normal once her Change was complete.  
  
She examined the shield that had shot up around her as it melted away, rather like a heat haze you see on hot days, he felt desire stir inside him; but not just any desire it was the Call of one vampire to another of the opposite sex and it sent thrills of excitement through his body.  
  
She let out a little gasp of surprise when she looked down and found herself clad not in her outfit from this morning, but in a long amber coloured dress with wispy sleeves that dated back to a time she couldn't begin to try and figure out. She had no doubt that it was the dress her ancestor had worn all those years ago and she felt power rippling off it and seeping into her body.  
  
Draco, however, was thoroughly confused about the dress. When he Changed he stayed in his own clothes, so what was all that about? To his surprise his own Change began before he had called for it. He had been in control of his own Changing's for month, learning almost immediately how to sense its oncoming and prevent it.  
  
But this time he felt his senses sharpen and his body begin to quiver without telling it to at all. He lifted off his feet in the cloud of green and blue that had surrounded him and concentrated on not throwing up as he whirled around faster than when travelling by Floo powder. His eyes were the first to Change and Ginny watched as they closed for a split second before darting open to reveal a chaos of dark blue, black and green swirling around inside them as though a thunderstorm was playing out in his head before fading back to normal scornful grey and she felt a slight relief that she couldn't explain at the sight of those mercury orbs watching her watch him. The pupils lengthened to diagonal slits just like hers and his skin took on a pale blue shade while his lips and eyelashes turned a very pale green.  
  
His nails lengthened to the same size and shape as hers but his turned a dark green colour and his screening was an icy blue colour that gave out salty waves colder than those a Dementor brings. His hair was rippling slightly around his head as though he was under water, she wasn't sure she liked the effect but she pushed the thought away as it returned to normal as hers had mere seconds before.  
  
She watched curiously as his muscles grew and she suddenly noticed that his eyes were the same shape as an eagle's and were slightly bigger than hers, as were his nails, his fingers and his height as he had grown. Realising that must be the difference between a male and a female of the Six and she found herself wondering if he'd grown everywhere.  
  
As the smoke screen surrounding him faded just as hers had the temperature in the corridor returned to normal as did both their skin colours. In fact the only evidence left that they had Changed was their nails which were still slightly longer and sharper than normal even though they had returned to their normal colour, and their eyes which still contained two diagonal slits in each one.  
  
"Oh no! Not in the corridor again Draco you stupid twat!"  
  
Slowly the two of them turned to look at Blue who had just mounted the stairs and was staring at them both reproachfully. Ginny watched him slightly stunned, wondering how he wasn't at all surprised to see two vampires in full demonic mode in the middle of the corridor at nine o'clock at night.  
  
"Whoa, Weasley! I didn't know you were one of the Six too; I knew you were part vampire of course but One of the Six!"  
  
Ginny's anger was slowly fading but her heart was still racing with the sensations Draco's aura was sending rippling through her body. She cocked her head to the side as she studied Blue who was busy dragging Draco down the corridor, he turned to look at Ginny as Draco wrenched out of his grasp.  
  
"Maybe we should sit down."  
  
Draco's voice was like being underwater, muffled slightly and rippling but it sent shivers of lust rushing down her spine nonetheless. Silently she followed the pair of them as they stalked down towards the dungeons, swerving to the left just outside the entrance and stopping outside a blank stretch of wall.  
  
"What are we doing here?"  
  
Ginny was shocked when her voice crackled like a bonfire and her eyes widened; she hadn't known the Change would alter her voice as well. She was starting to feel slightly resentful towards her parents and Dumbledore for not telling her the full effects of the Change. Neither of the Slytherins replied as Blue drew a line down the bricks with his forefinger and pressed in the two bricks on either side. He slit open the tip of his finger with his nail and Draco could the same, the pair of them mixing their blood before Blue placed the bloodied finger on the wall and traced the password across the original line which was now glowing with a vibrant white light.  
  
Ginny could just make out the words which shone like the first line before it faded into the wall and the bricks melted away leaving a high archway built of the same bricks; The Ancients Will Prevail.  
  
Ginny snorted and raised a mocking eyebrow as the two of the led the way through the archway, turning to stop and look at her as the archway faded back into a wall.  
  
"Original password."  
  
They looked at each other before continuing on down a dark hallway, the torches lining the wall springing to life as they passed and extinguishing themselves once they were gone. Ginny turned to look at the archway, only slightly surprised to see that the bricks filling it were vaguely invisible; she could still see the corridor through which they had come but it was hazy.  
  
Following them along the hallway she found herself in a huge room in what seemed to be a tower; this she couldn't understand as they hadn't gone up any stairs at all. She shrugged it off, reminding herself she was in a magic castle and slumped onto one of the plush black sofas in the centre of the room.  
  
"What is this place?"  
  
Her voice was still crackling but not as much and she was slowly changing back to normal, as was Draco. But their eyes still remained the same strange shape and it unnerved her slightly having to look into those enlarged pools whenever she glanced at him.  
  
She swallowed hard when he sat down next to her and his scent filled her nose. He had the most enticing smell; sharp and bittersweet, light and spicy, entrancing and unsettling, trying to find something to compare it with she settled on night. She had the idea that could night be transformed into a scent, it would be all his and exactly how he now smelt to her.  
  
"This is a place only the three of us know about. It was built by the Six before the Final Battle and can only be accessed by those with the Six's blood running in their veins."  
  
Blue's voice was enchanting, the deep lull of it making it all sound wonderfully peaceful and romantic. Not really caring about where she was right then she turned to Blue about to ask him more about these Six but he was already speaking, as though he could read her mind.  
  
"There are Six Protector's obviously; Air, Fire, Earth, Water, Ice and Electricity. Judging by what we saw back in that corridor you must be the One of Fire. Draco here is Water and I am Electricity."  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow at him but did not interrupt, sensing there was more to come. She could feel Draco's eyes on her and was only just keeping herself from leaping on him; Blue's explanation was a welcome distraction.  
  
"Now where the other three are we're not sure yet. But we're pretty positive they're around Hogwarts, one of them has only just received their powers, and the others are waiting."  
  
Blue slouched down onto one of the huge black cushions on the floor and stretched his legs out, arching his back like a cat as he stretched and keeping an amused eye on Draco who was watching Ginny with an animal – like hunger.  
  
"So what's so special about being One of the Six?"  
  
She asked, carefully avoiding looking at Draco and keeping her full focus on Blue who looked up at her with ill concealed contempt.  
  
"God, didn't your parents tell you anything?"  
  
Ginny narrowed her eyes at him but bit back the sharp remark that balanced on the edge of her tongue. He shook his head and lay down flat across two of the pillows, his hands resting on his stomach in exactly the same way as hers sometimes did when she was relaxed.  
  
"Being One of the Six means that you have normal vampire powers, such as the strength the extra sense etc etc, but you also get advantages as well."  
  
He paused for dramatic effect and the room crackled with tension as Ginny unconsciously leaned forward in her chair in anticipation.  
  
"You can heal yourself immediately whereas normal vampires have to heal over night. You have some telepathic ability connecting you to the other Five and naturally you have all control over your own specific element."  
  
Ginny creased her brow and looked at him curiously, only just following where he was going with all this as she leant back against the back of the sofa and pulled her legs up under her so she was curled up slightly like a cat.  
  
"What? So I can control fire?"  
  
Blue's eyes widened in amazement and he sat up slowly, his gaze flickering over to Draco who was now entirely out of the change and was watching the both of them with a slight smirk playing over his chiselled features.  
  
"In a way, you can create small amounts of fire by yourself but you can manipulate any fire within a five mile radius if you're far enough into the Change at the time. Of course you have to learn to control all this which is very difficult as elements are powers of nature and don't particularly like being controlled."  
  
Ginny sighed and conjured a few bottles of Butterbeer, tossing one to Blue and then handing one to Draco, their hands briefly making contact and shooting sparks up her arm before she pulled away and averted her gaze.  
  
"Do you know who the other Five are?" She asked curiously, taking a sip of Butterbeer and leaning on the arm of the couch, as far away from Draco's tempting smell and shiver-inducing body heat as she could.  
  
"Not personally, we know that there are three men and three women, so there are still two girls and one guy on the loose somewhere in school with no idea how powerful they could be."  
  
He shrugged vaguely and went back to drinking his Butterbeer leaving the room in silence for a moment.  
  
"How do you now so much about this?" Ginny asked suddenly, preventing her blushes from showing but her now normal eyes lowering when Blue looked up at her.  
  
"I received the Mark on my sixteenth birthday just like you and Draco, but my birthday was three months before his so I had more time to learn to control it and to read up as much as I could on the original Six."  
  
Ginny accepted this and lapsed into thoughtful silence once again, absently twirling a lock of hair around her finger as she chewed her bottom lip.  
  
"So what happens when all Six of us receive our Marks and can control our power and stuff?"  
  
Both boys turned to look at her with blank faces, only Blue's eyes betraying how impressed he was at her question.  
  
"We're not sure yet, we know that when our powers are combined we can create this enormous amount of energy or something. We haven't really gotten that far with our research yet."  
  
Draco spoke for the first time since they had entered the room and Ginny turned to look at him reluctantly, coming to an almost instantaneous decision and blurting it out before she had time to think;  
  
"I want to know what it's like."  
  
Again the two Slytherins exchanged a look before turning back to her with similar sneers on their faces as she gazed boldly back at them, not a trace of emotion on her face.  
  
"What what is like?" Blue asked gently, something bordering on excitement building in his eyes as Ginny stammered her reply.  
  
"Everything, I want to know how to do everything."  
  
The boys looked at each other once more, seeming to be communicating through telepathy as she sat there impatiently.  
  
"Well? Are you going to help me or not? This new stuff is scary and the last thing I need is a pair of little boys on a power trip pretending they can help when they can't."  
  
Her outburst seemed to impress them and Blue nodded at Draco who turned to Ginny, that same look of hunger still burning in his eyes and she had the idea that he was controlling his urges just as much as she was lately.  
  
"Fine, meet us here tomorrow night after dinner. And Ginny..."  
  
Ginny froze in the act of getting to her feet when he used her fist name and she turned around slowly to look at him.  
  
"Don't tell anyone."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes, her reply coming out harsher than she had intended but neither of them seemed remotely bothered by her sharp tongue and stinging wit.  
  
"I'm not going to go blabbing it around school that I'm some kind of vampire aristocrat who is voluntarily spending time with you two to learn how to control herself am I? God were you always this stupid or did you take lessons?"  
  
The pair of them got to their feet and headed towards the door, vanishing their Butterbeer bottles with an identical flick of their wands.  
  
"We took lessons of course."  
  
Blue replied cheerfully, opening the heavy wooden door she hadn't noticed when they had first entered and waving her through.  
  
Despite herself Ginny laughed and followed him down the corridor, thinking how jealous Frankie would be if she knew that she, Ginny was going to be spending most nights a week with Blue and Draco the two most shaggable guys in the whole of Hogwarts.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Upon reaching Griffindor Tower Ginny danced up to Noah's room and threw herself on top of him, not caring that it was well past midnight and every other occupant of the room was snoring in varying degrees of noise.  
  
"Noah!"  
  
She hissed, shaking him awake and sneaking under the covers with him as they did whenever they wanted to talk, performing a quick silencing spell on his bed and pulling the quilts over their heads.  
  
"Whaissit?"  
  
He mumbled, turning under the quilts to look at her beaming face. Without wasting any time she told him everything that had gone on that night, physically clamping a hand over his mouth and pinning him down to the bed when she reached the part about Pike.  
  
"Sssh! Let me finish for god's sake!"  
  
He quietened down immediately but his eyes still burned with fury before widening in surprise when she told him everything Blue and Draco had told her.  
  
"Gin... about these others... did he mention who they were?"  
  
He felt Ginny shake her head on the pillow next to him and he wriggled around, lighting the end of his wand and bared his stomach to her. It was a very good job she had put a silencing charm on his bed because her shriek of shock would have woken half of Griffindor Tower.  
  
"Noah, why didn't you tell me?"  
  
She hissed, slapping him on the arm reproachfully and glaring at his tousled form as he looked down at his bare chest sheepishly.  
  
"I was going to when you told me about yours but you never told me what happened when you Changed so I figured I must be something else as I go all weird."  
  
Ginny put her hand on his arm telling him silently that he was forgiven and he grinned slightly.  
  
"We'll talk about it in the morning, ok?"  
  
He nodded and she made to get out of the bed before diving back under the covers.  
  
"I'll talk to Blue and Draco... Merlin! I'm calling them by their first names now! Err yeah I'll talk to them about giving you training lessons as well if you want."  
  
She felt his hesitation and she shook her head;  
  
"It was just an idea, think about it."  
  
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before slipping out from under his sheets, taking the silencing charm off his bed and creeping back to her room as quietly as she could so as not to wake the others and have to do some quick thinking as she didn't really have a legitimate excuse why she was only just getting into bed. 


	4. Games On and Off the Pitch

A/N: as always none of it is mine besides the characters not familiar from the books.  
  
In answer to a question I got asked, in my fic Ancient Mythology is so dull only a few seventh years took it which is why they're in the same class as the sixth years  
  
Thanx to all for the reviews, I do try and update every day but as the chapters are slightly longer than my others it takes longer to write, anyway enjoy the latest chapter =) cheers babes xx  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Don't Wanna Love You' by Babyface  
  
The lyrics in the middle are from 'We Will Rock You' by Queen  
  
Chapter Four – Games On and Off the Pitch  
  
Don't want your name or your number  
  
Cuz I don't wanna give you a call  
  
Don't wanna end up your lover  
  
Ooh, I don't wanna know you at all  
  
"You're not exactly helping." Ginny snapped as Blue and Draco sighed and looked at each other.  
  
"You have to feel the power flowing through you; like your blood, or your breath. It's inside you already you just have to bring it to the surface the moment you want it."  
  
Draco's voice sent icy shivers down her spine as his hands circled her waist, his breath hot on her ear as he stepped up close behind her.  
  
"Have you ever seen 'Dirty Dancing'?"  
  
Draco shot Blue a look as he stepped in front of Ginny, sandwiching her between them, his hands gripping hers gently as he pulled her arms towards him. Ginny nodded, her heart racing yet her body serenely calm as Draco's hands caressed her hips and waist and Blue's thumbs drew little circles on her inner wrists with his forefingers.  
  
"Well you know where he's teaching her to dance? And he shows her the heartbeat?"  
  
Ginny nodded once again as he took her right hand, her Mark shimmering in the torch-light and placed it on his chest over his heart. She could feel his heart beating steadily beneath the hard muscular plate of his chest beneath her fingers.  
  
"Well it's just like that, feel your heart sending your blood around your body and feel it join up with your power. Allow it to spread all over you as the blood flows."  
  
Ginny's eyes flickered closed as Draco lowered his lips gently to her neck, tracing her pulse point with his tongue as her heart rate increased then slowed down even further than normal. His hands were rubbing her bare hips gently as her back Lycra leggings with the matching red hot pants fell well below her waist.  
  
She gave a little sigh which almost immediately turned to a gasp of surprise when the Change began. Her eyes flew open and her body began to shudder, her heart beat very plainly increasing under her tight red Lycra bikini-tank top.  
  
"Well done, now. You need to do the opposite. When you feel the blood try and slow it down, feel it cooling inside you."  
  
She nodded at Blue and closed her eyes again, her blood felt like red hot lava gushing around inside her and she concentrated all her efforts on slowing it which was proving very difficult as Draco was still kissing her along her shoulder and neck while Blue smirked at him.  
  
When her skin turned cold and her heart rate returned to normal she looked up with a grin on her face.  
  
"I did it!" She cried, jumping up and down and almost knocking Draco out as her shoulder struck his jaw.  
  
"What can we do now?" She asked excitedly, her eyes shining with enthusiasm, dulling slightly when Blue and Draco shook their heads simultaneously.  
  
"We all have a match to go to if I'm not mistaken. And if you burn your energy too fast, it will exhaust you and we don't want that to happen in the middle of a key match do we?"  
  
Ginny's shoulders sagged in disappointment but she decided that he was right, as always, Harry would do his nut if she messed this game up for Griffindor, especially as it was against Slytherin.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
The crowd did rapid calculations in their heads as the two teams conversed with their Captains at the front of the stands. Hermione, Alyssa, Cass and Noah shoved their way through the Griffindors to the very front of the stand where the Griffindor team were crowded around Harry as Captain who was desperate to win the cup before he left at the end of the year.  
  
"Harry!"  
  
Harry raised his head as Cass hissed his name from the crowd; he smiled at her and dragged Ginny and Ron along towards them, pummelling his way through his team-mates towards her. His thick black hair was plastered to his head with sweat, his expressionless face was tinged with pink from his exertions on the pitch and his eyes sparkled behind his glasses.  
  
He grinned at them as they grinned back, Ginny could see Noah gazing at the team longingly; he was desperate to be on the team, and she laughed before quickly turning away when Noah threw her a reproachful look.  
  
"Good luck with the second half." Cass mumbled at Harry, blushing as he fixed his speculative gaze on her.  
  
"Thanks, you been watching the match?"  
  
He raised his eyes to look at the rest of the group around him when they nodded stating the obvious. Ginny smiled vaguely, unconsciously watching Draco as he chattered with Blue on the other side of the pitch while the stands around them buzzed with babbling students and teachers all happily wondering about the outcome of the match. Three of the four houses were rooting for Griffindor as Slytherin was still anything but popular.  
  
"Harry!"  
  
Harry spun around as Mason yelled for him to come over.  
  
"Well... good luck."  
  
Cass, Hermione and Alyssa gave them a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug before slumping down in the seats behind them. The friends muttered various Good luck's to the team before taking their seats and clapping their hands expectantly as the two teams flooded back onto the pitch; the Griffindor's vivid red and gold uniforms a complete contrast to Slytherin's green and silver.  
  
"And they're back on the pitch, with the score 30-30 at the end of time- out, who will triumph? Well we all know who we want it to be but that doesn't mean the stinking, cheating..."  
  
In the split second before the whistle went Ginny laughed and shook her head, looking up at Xander who was commentating in a very biased way that included lots of swearing. Three quarters of the stands rose to their feet screaming as she raced towards the goal with the Quaffle seemingly stuck to her hands.  
  
"And its Ginny, will she score? Come on Ginny; hit him he's only the Keeper! And it's only Domaine after all, it's not like he's any good or anything!"  
  
Xander was screaming into the speaker now, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach as she reached out to grab the speaker away from him.  
  
"Chill Professor I'll stop. And it's saved." Xander continued in disgust, sitting back down and ignoring the Professor screeching furiously into his ear.  
  
"And its Ginny again, once more heading for the goal with Mason and Frankie right behind him... whack him with your bat Frankie, it's there for a reason!"  
  
Xander dived out of the Professor's reach once more;  
  
"Come on Ginny! Keep going, you're nearly there! And Martins goes down as Mason knocks a bludger at him, good boy!" He bellowed.  
  
Ginny could see Alyssa clinging onto Noah now, jumping up and down, her eyes never leaving Ginny as she darted around the Slytherin's defence. Next to her Cass was screaming herself hoarse as she perched precariously on Neville Longbottom's back, ignoring the shouts of outrage from the students behind her who couldn't see.  
  
"And she's closing in on the Keeper, it's just the two of them, Mason and Frankie are flattening Martins and Ridgeyard with bludgers just behind him, go for it the lousy scumbags... alrite!" He yelled as the Professor made a dive at him yet again.  
  
"Go on Ginny, you can do it, shoot! And she's taking aim, she's... THAT'S ILLEGAL!" Xander roared, outraged as a Slytherin player flew directly at Ginny and hooked her feet with his hand making Ginny overbalance and almost fall off her broom.  
  
"Come on Ref, call something!" Noah yelled over the screams of the livid Griffindor supporters as Hermione, Alyssa and Cass let out a united shriek and almost dived over the edge of the stand as they leaned over trying to see if Ginny was alright.  
  
To their relief she got to her feet and shot a filthy look at the player that had knocked her over.  
  
"And that's a penalty for Griffindor. And they deserve it too after that obvious foul made by that low-down revolting worthless cheating son-of-a..."  
  
Xander was cut short as Professor McGonagall slammed her hand on the desk in front of him, reminding him she was there.  
  
"Thompson, I am warning you... one more word like that and you never commentate again! I thought I got rid of that kind of behaviour when Lee Jordan left."  
  
The entire stands could hear her bawling him out, though by the look on her face it was clear she completely agreed with what he had said or had been about to say.  
  
Reeva Dolson, a pretty seventh year from Ginny's Advanced Transfiguration class took the penalty shot and landed it in the net no problem; bringing the score to 40-30 to Griffindor.  
  
"And there's a wonderful shot by Reeva Dolson putting Griffindor in the lead where they belong. Brilliant girl, Reeva, I've been saying it since I got here but she still makes excuses not to go out with me..."  
  
The stands were two-double laughing at Xander's commentary when Slytherin seized possession of the Quaffle and streaked towards the goal.  
  
"Professor; get off! And Slytherin have the Quaffle and are heading to the goal, come on come on miss! Damn it and they've scored."  
  
Xander mumbled in disgust as the Professor let go of the speaker she had grabbed earlier.  
  
"Come on guys; let's give them some support!" Alyssa shrieked at the stands that were supporting Griffindor. Whipping a C.D Player and two speakers out of her back pack she mumbled a few words and they magnified to ten times their normal size so that a group of second years had to dash out of the way before they were crushed.  
  
Alyssa paid no attention to them and muttered some more odd words at the C.D Player which switched itself on and began to play a song at full tilt, causing screams of joy and laughter from the Griffindor supporters.  
  
"Buddy you're a boy make a big noise  
  
Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day  
  
You got mud on yo' face  
  
You big disgrace  
  
Kickin' your can all over the place  
  
Singin'  
  
All Ginny could think about was how cheesy it looked and sounded but all that was drowned out when, as one, Griffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff raised themselves from their seats and began to clap, sing and stomp their feet along to the music that was now pounding through the stadium at a deafening volume, even Dumbledore was discretely singing along;  
  
"We will we will rock you  
  
We will we will rock you"  
  
Both teams stopped their play on the pitch and looked up at the stands; three sides were a complete wall of scarlet and golden things; clothes, scarves, cloaks, hats, gloves. Harry caught sight of the huge speakers inspiring the crowds and he grinned up at Alyssa causing Cass to scowl at her. As though a spell had been cast and then broken the two teams realised they were still battling for the cup and they sprang back into action.  
  
The stands erupted into screams of delight as Dean Thomas scored a goal from behind the Slytherin Captain, swinging the Quaffle right under his arm and into the net; Griffindor were in the lead again. The next five minutes went by like lightening as both teams went racing around the pitch, both hell-bent on winning.  
  
Two seconds before a bludger aimed directly at her head zoomed past her Ginny somehow dug the Quaffle out of the group of struggling Chasers and scorching it up the pitch and into the net, winning another ten points just as Harry snatched the snitch from under Draco's nose, winning the game.  
  
"WE WON, WE WON, WE BLOODY WON! GEROFF PROFESSOR WE WON!" Xander bellowed, abandoning the speaker and racing down the steps to the pitch.  
  
"YES!"  
  
Ginny screamed, racing down to the pitch on her broom and leaping off into her team mates' arms, her hands punching the air as she danced up and down, hardly noticing Alyssa, Xander and Noah clinging to each other and yelling themselves hoarse as the Griffindor team sprinted back to the stands cheering and the crowds flooded onto the pitch to embrace them.  
  
Cass ran straight to Harry who was surrounded by a huge group of mostly girls who he pushed out of the way to meet Cass and grab her, swinging her round as her hands flew around his neck.  
  
"We did it, we did it!"  
  
Most of the crowd had taken up the chant by the time Harry finally lowered Cass down so her feet were back on the ground.  
  
Ginny sidled out of the crowd and headed discreetly towards Draco and Blue who were checking their brooms for damage as the rest of the team slouched off towards the changing rooms. She tapped Draco on the shoulder just as the thought; what the hell are you doing?! flashed through her mind. She pushed it away as his eyes met hers and Blue disappeared into the crowd of Slytherins.  
  
"So... how does second place feel?"  
  
She asked, staring up at him, with her head on one side, looking up at him under her lashes with a cheeky grin on her face.  
  
"Getting pretty used to it since Potter joined the fucking team." He snapped bitterly, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his robes and looking moodily at the floor.  
  
Ginny grinned up at him boldly, slowly pulling his head around towards her as she stood on her tiptoes leaning against him.  
  
"You sound depressed."  
  
He looked down at her with that familiar hunger burning into her from their depths and when he spoke the shake in his voice was only just evident by her enhanced senses.  
  
"Malfoy's don't like losing."  
  
She smiled up at him, licking her lips so the tip of her tongue stroked his bottom lip.  
  
"I would have thought Malfoy's were beyond simple competitions like a Hogwarts Quidditch Cup."  
  
She grinned up at him sexily, their eyes meeting and a fire coursing through them, rejuvenating Draco's tired and aching body and setting Ginny's alight. It wasn't long before they were pulled apart again though, the crowd weaving around them curiously.  
  
She was teasing him and she knew it, she didn't really want him; well her vampire side did, but she didn't actually fancy him. She just enjoyed pushing him as she knew it was a skill very few people could do.  
  
"See ya!"  
  
Draco glanced up in time to see Ginny swept into the centre of the cheering crowds heading towards the castle, depositing the team at the changing rooms on their way.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"I really don't think this is a good idea."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes and continued lighting the torches throughout the room; she was having to use her wand as she hadn't managed to create more than a few wisps of flame on her own yet.  
  
"Come on Noah, have some balls."  
  
She grinned innocently when he shot her a filthy look, standing awkwardly in the middle of the empty disused classroom down in the dungeon corridor.  
  
"Look it'll be fine, if you start getting out of hand I'll just Change."  
  
Doubts still clouded his eyes and she put a reassuring hand on his muscular shoulder, soothing him with her eyes.  
  
"I don't know how to do it voluntarily."  
  
She grinned wickedly at him and stepped away, pulling her hair out of its clip and wandering in and out of the desks, swinging her hips and making hot eyes at him. He swallowed nervously and watched her as though she had lost her mind.  
  
"Erm Ginny... what are you doing?"  
  
She stripped her jumper in the sexiest way he could ever imagine, his heart beat doubled and his palms suddenly got very sweaty.  
  
"Well the first time I Changed, I was very nervous and that's what triggered it. I'm planning on making you as nervous as I can. First your palms will get sweaty."  
  
He nodded vaguely, the lights in the room flickering as his blood sped up and his eyes began to Change. Ginny pulled off her tie and unbutton half of her shirt slightly, her hair falling in a wave over her shoulder as she circled him, thinking hard back to the film she'd seen when this had worked.  
  
She stepped back as he slipped into the Change, his eyes flashing and enlarging, changing to a dark ivy green interlaced with black and brown. His hair seemed to change into a more subtle brown with highlights of moss green and shifted slightly as though a slight breeze was ruffling his locks.  
  
He rose to his feet just as Draco and herself had and a green, brown and black smoky haze shot up around him with touches of a slight mahogany colour and his nails lengthened just as hers had and turned a dark jade a few shades darker than her eyes before fading back to their normal colour.  
  
"See."  
  
Noah looked down at his hands, turning them over so he could see the faintly green shade fade from his skin before looking back up at Ginny.  
  
"How do I stop it?"  
  
His voice was heavier somehow, as though layered with earth and Ginny had no doubt from that instant that Noah was the One of Earth. She carefully sifted through all the instructions Blue had given her on how to shut it down, finally deciding not to overwhelm him.  
  
"You need to level your emotions out, chill your blood."  
  
Noah looked up at her incredulously and she sighed, realising how hard it must have been for Blue and Draco to teach her, but she was a lot more excited about her powers whereas Noah was just plain terrified of what he might end up doing.  
  
"Think of a calming song and sing the words in your head."  
  
It took them about twenty minutes until Noah was fully out of the Change and he collapsed as soon as he was; absolutely exhausted. Ginny sank down onto the floor next to him and conjured up some Chocolate Frogs and Butterbeers for them from her stash under her bed.  
  
He took some from her gratefully and ran a hand through his hair, dark with sweat. She could see his hand was shaking and his eyes were fever bright; obviously he hadn't Changed very much since the first time and it was very plainly still a new experience for his body.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
((Draco's POV))  
  
She was getting better, even he had to admit that, but he couldn't escape the fact that every time he held her to instruct her he had the insane urge to... NO stop right there! He shook those kinds of thoughts out of his head and returned to the present where Blue and Ginny were arguing light heartedly as always.  
  
He was jealous most of the time about how close Blue and Ginny were getting, not in a sexual or romantic way but in a friendly way. They flirted a lot but it was mostly joking around flirting. He had a strange desire to join in sometimes but his personality wouldn't allow it; he had spent years building up the cold, harsh, brutally honest exterior to protect himself from the world, the only person who had seen the real Draco Malfoy was Blue.  
  
And he was finding it hard letting go of that, even for the few hours a night they spent practising and teaching and lately researching. He was easing up slightly around Ginny as her friendly personality made it very hard to hate her, but she was always quick with a sharp comment if she was pushed and he liked that.  
  
Truth be told he was scared about this new found power, he had a strong hold on his temper but certain things tended to compromise that he if he Changed involuntarily as he had the first time he'd seen Ginny Change, god knows what he'd end up doing.  
  
Dragging his thoughts back to the present he turned to look at Ginny who was snapping at Blue for a change.  
  
"You're not exactly helping."  
  
Draco sighed and looked over at Blue who was looking thoroughly fed up, but his eyes showed he was amused at the whole thing.  
  
"You have to feel the power flowing through you; like your blood, or your breath. It's inside you already you just have to bring it to the surface the moment you want it."  
  
His whispered words produced goose bumps on her flesh and he crept up behind her, making no sound a normal human could hear and even the other two could only hear a slight creak on the floor. He touched her waist slightly, sliding his hands around it and hearing her heart rate quicken slightly.  
  
"Have you ever seen 'Dirty Dancing'?"  
  
Draco looked over at Blue who was pressing slightly against her from in front his hands pulling hers towards his chest as he spoke. Draco could see him caressing her inner wrists and was sure if it was anyone else he would have ripped their spinal cord out by now. Instead he massaged the bare skin between Ginny's Lycra leggings and shorts and her little red crop top as Blue spoke.  
  
"Well you know where he's teaching her to dance? And he shows her the heartbeat?"  
  
Glancing up to see Blue placing her right hand flat over his heart Draco lowered his head once more and traced her pulse in her neck with his tongue.  
  
"Well it's just like that, feel your heart sending your blood around your body and feel it join up with your power. Allow it to spread all over you as the blood flows."  
  
Draco and Blue fell slightly a way from her when her Change began and Draco shot Blue a triumphant look.  
  
"Well done, now. You need to do the opposite. When you feel the blood try and slow it down, feel it cooling inside you."  
  
Blue spoke for Draco as he, Draco, felt the first stirrings of his own Change begin once more and focused his energy on keeping it at bay.  
  
"I did it!"  
  
Draco stepped back quickly when Ginny shrieked and jumped up and down in excitement nearly breaking his jaw with her shoulder in the process.  
  
"What can we do now?"  
  
'I think we better stop, as much as I'd like to exhaust her before a major game, I have an annoying voice that sounds very much like a conscience telling me not to.'  
  
Blue's voice resounded in Draco's head and they both shook their heads at the same time, causing Ginny to lower her eyes and shrug her shoulders in disappointment.  
  
"We all have a match to go to if I'm not mistaken. And if you burn your energy too fast, it will exhaust you and we don't want that to happen in the middle of a key match do we?"  
  
Ginny glared at them for a moment before smiling and grabbing her bag, pulling her school robes on and heading back to Griffindor tower to meet the rest of the team.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"Tell me again why I decided to Captain this fucking team?" Draco grumbled to Blue as they both took long swigs of water from the flasks being handed round and towelled some of the sweat off their faces.  
  
"Easy lays? Respect? Responsibility? The usual shit."  
  
Draco snorted and squirted some water onto his face and head, slicking his hair back out of his face and wiping the excess water out of his eyes.  
  
"Bollocks, I can get laid easily anyway, and why would I want these losers respect?"  
  
Blue rolled his eyes and went back to bouncing the Quaffle onto the floor where it sprang back into his arms. He shot a poisonous glance at Madam Hooch when she summoned the ball and stalked onto the centre pitch ready for play to resume.  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes, Draco caught sight of Ginny trying and failing to watch him without being noticed while her little friends and Potter's fan club swooned around them.  
  
"Let's go!" He bellowed to his team who lumbered to their feet, Crabbe and Goyle swinging their bats around aimlessly and nearly concussing a passing fifth year.  
  
He slapped Blue on the back encouragingly before turning to face the Griffindor team who were all glaring back with various degrees of disgust on their faces. He grudgingly shook hands with Potter and clutched his broom waiting for the whistle to signal the second half.  
  
Rocketing upwards he barely glimpsed a whirl of red darting past him as Ginny seized control of the Quaffle and shot over to the goal with a determined look on her face, dodging a bludger Crabbe sent hurtling her way.  
  
He pushed all thoughts of what was going on elsewhere on the pitch out of his mind and scanned the air with hawk eyes, circling the pitch in the opposite direction to Potter who was doing the same. He barely took in a word of Thompson's commentary, only listening to the sore every now and then as he swerved in and out of players hoping to end this game quickly.  
  
Feeling a slight pain in the back of his head he whirled around on his broom to see Ginny sprawled on the ground and one of his Chasers, Carson, guffawing stupidly until Madam Hooch whistled a penalty. Draco pushed his anger down firmly, turning his back on the goal as a Griffindor Chaser took the penalty.  
  
His eyes twitched faintly and he paused in midair, listening as a song roared up from the red and gold section of the stands. He narrowed his eyes when Potter grinned at someone in the stands before shaking his head and zooming to the opposite end of the pitch, his eyes darting in all directions looking for a flash of gold.  
  
Seeing it directly in front of him he lay almost flat on his broom, racing it towards it, just as Ginny seized the Quaffle and darted past him, temporarily taking his attention from the snitch right before him. He snapped his head around when the crowds started screaming in time to see Potter raising a fist in the air, the snitch's tiny wings protruding from either side of his clenched fist.  
  
Shooting him a look of deepest loathing Draco dove almost vertically down towards the ground and dismounted with his disappointed team-mates who were patting each other on the back and muttering curses under their breath.  
  
Draco was about to follow the wave of green and silver across the pitch into the changing rooms but a tap on his shoulder made him turn around slowly, barely noticing Blue fading into the crowd.  
  
Ginny stood before him, a smudge of dust on her cheek and her hair already falling out of its high ponytail around her face in glossy damp waves. She impatiently flicked her hair behind her shoulder and grinned smugly up at him.  
  
"So... how does second place feel?"  
  
He glowered at her for a second, shoving his hands into the pockets of his robes and turning moodily to stare at the floor.  
  
"Getting pretty used to it since Potter joined the fucking team." He snarled, shooting poisonous glances at Potter who was all over one of Ginny's friends from Ancient Mythology.  
  
Turning back he found her grinning at him confidently, placing a hand on his chin and cupping his chiselled white cheek in her small warm hand as she leaned against him.  
  
"You sound depressed."  
  
He felt the now familiar desire surge up inside him as he looked down at her.  
  
"Malfoy's don't like losing."  
  
She shot him a seductive smile and his heart rate faltered, vaguely wondering if he'd pass out from the dizzying longing shuddering through him, he didn't even try and make a smart comment as she ran the tip of her tongue over his bottom lip.  
  
"I would have thought Malfoy's were beyond simple competitions like a Hogwarts Quidditch Cup."  
  
Grinning up at him he had one thought in his mind, besides the vague idea of throwing her down and ripping her clothes right there, and that was how the hell did she become so god damn sexy? She was playing him like a master and to his knowledge she had only slept with one person a few times when she was dating whatever his name was.  
  
"See ya!"  
  
He was so deep in thought the words only registered in his mind a few seconds later and he jerked his head up just as she was dragged into the midst of the screaming crowds on their way to the castle, losing the Griffindor team on the way as they forced their way into their changing rooms to get showered and changed.  
  
Pushing the idea of Ginny in the shower firmly to the back of his mind, Draco crossed the pitch quickly towards his own changing rooms where the team were either bitching about Potter and the Griffindor's or angrily silent as they changed. 


	5. Date for the Dance

A/N: as usual I only own the characters you don't recognise from J.K Rowling's books  
  
Cheers for all the reviews, two chapters in one day aren't you lucky! And I'm off to do another since I have nout else to do =) enjoy xx  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Making Me Hate You' by Unloco  
  
Chapter Five – Date for the Dance  
  
You fake, you lie  
  
You're making me hate you  
  
You fake, you lie  
  
You're making me want you even more  
  
Xander dropped into his seat next to Ginny glumly; staring down at his blank plate as though he was about to face his last meal.  
  
"Err... Xander is there something wrong?" Ginny asked, exchanging a glance with Noah who was sat before her.  
  
Xander looked up miserably and groaned, shaking his head and looking very nearly on the verge of tears.  
  
"Yeah there is; I have just committed the number one crime for guys."  
  
Ginny fought hard against the impulse to laugh but Alyssa didn't seem to have the self-control as she dived under the table to hide her giggles on the pretext of retrieving a fallen spoon.  
  
"And that would be?"  
  
Xander banged his hand down on the table; rattling the cutlery besides him and making a few curious fourth years look up from their place a little further down the logn table.  
  
"Under no uncertain circumstances; does a guy ever fall for his best friend's little sister!"  
  
Ginny's mouth dropped open and she gaped at him, pulling herself together slightly as he slumped back in his chair.  
  
"You... huh?"  
  
Alyssa decided to make a reappearance and thrust her head over Ginny's shoulder, wasting no time on subtlety which was definitely not her strong point anyway.  
  
"Rindy? We all talking about the same person here? As in Mason's little sister Rindy?"  
  
Ginny elbowed Alyssa out of the way with an impatient look and she slumped back into her seat, still staring at Xander with her mouth open.  
  
"Hey! It's not like I asked for it to happen alright! It just kind of did and I saw her with Zac Bodell earlier,"  
  
Xander ground his teeth and glared at his plate, his hands balling up the napkin he was holding; "And I just got all jealous and I kind of figured it out..." He trailed off and flushed dark red.  
  
Ginny watched him silently for a while before shaking her head as though to clear it and nudging him in the elbows winking at Alyssa.  
  
"So when are you going to tell Mason about you two?"  
  
Xander jerked his head up to stare at her as Alyssa started and turned to do the same, her mouth open.  
  
"How did you...."  
  
Ginny laughed and shrugged, reminded forcibly of when Hermione had figured out that she, Ginny, had once kissed Harry when they had both gotten a little too drunk at a Christmas party in his fifth year.  
  
"It wasn't hard; she's been crazy about you since her first year."  
  
Xander blushed before getting to his feet and hovering uncertainly besides them.  
  
"I better go and find them then, are you coming?"  
  
The two girls nodded and got to their feet, Ginny avoiding Draco and Blue's gaze as they followed her out of the Hall with their eyes, she couldn't escape their connection though and soon their voices were in her head.  
  
'Where are you going?'  
  
'I have something to do.'  
  
'Interesting, does it involve showers or naked pillow fights, if so can we come?'  
  
Ginny shot them a reproachful look through her mind.  
  
'No to all of the above now get out of my head!'  
  
She grinned to herself when they hissed some colourful obscenities at her before half shutting down the connection and returning to their dinners.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Ginny looked up from her book, a muggle book Hermione had leant her called 'Wuthering Heights', when she heard Rindy gasp and pull away from Xander, her eyes on her older brother stood before them, his matching eyes narrowed.  
  
"What was that all about?"  
  
Mason's voice was dangerously low and Xander looked up at him nervously from his seat on the couch, Ginny's hands clutching the book in dread at the look on her friend's face.  
  
"Rindy, go to your room."  
  
Rindy opened her mouth furiously, anger blazing in her own eyes as Frankie and Alyssa looked from one to the other.  
  
"You're not mom, Mason! You can't just order me about..."  
  
She was cut off when Mason opened his own mouth just as furiously, the entire common room falling silent as the Golden Trio froze in the entrance as they quickly assessed the situation.  
  
"GET UPSTAIRS NOW!" Mason roared, startling a pair of first years huddled by the fire who promptly scuttled up the stairs to their dormitories.  
  
Rindy glared at Mason before seeing that he was in no mood to be messed with and darted up the stairs after the first years, hovering just around the bend so she could at least listen to what they were saying without being seen.  
  
"We're erm... going to go do some of that homework we..."  
  
Ginny's lame excuse was interrupted by an incensed Mason shooting her a glance that told her to stop talking.  
  
"What were you doing with my little sister?"  
  
Mason seethed at Xander who was blushing badly and stammering, his hands gripping his knees at the look in his best friend's eyes.  
  
"Mason... I... it just happened..."  
  
Mason stared at Xander without speaking; Ginny and Alyssa were holding their breath as they stood nervously to one side, their eyes on Mason. He looked down at the floor and seemed to calm down but his anger built again as he saw Rindy listening nervously from the bottom of the dormitory stairs. He suddenly lunged at Xander, knocking him off the couch and punching him in the face.  
  
"Mason! STOP!" Rindy shrieked dashing towards him as Ginny, Frankie, Cass, the Golden Trio and Alyssa all dived on him trying to pull him off Xander.  
  
"Just stop it! Why can't you just let me do something I want to for once? Just leave me alone, get out of my life!" Rindy cried, punching Mason's solid chest with her fists before fleeing the room sobbing.  
  
"Now look what you've done idiot!" Ginny shouted, rounding on a shocked Mason and poking him in the chest with her finger.  
  
"I'm going to get her back and you," She shoved him backwards. "Are going to apologise!"  
  
He shook his head and leapt to his feet, his eyes practically throwing off sparks as Ginny fought to control her urge to Change.  
  
"For what?" He yelled. "For my best mate kissing my little sister?"  
  
He indicated a dazed Xander who was sat on the floor with a busted lip, Alyssa dabbing at the blood dribbling down his chin with a handkerchief as Hermione cast a quick Healing spell.  
  
"NO! For ruining the one chance 'your little sister' has ever had of actually being really happy with someone who likes her as much as she likes him!" Ginny spat, her voice rising as her temper did; why couldn't he just understand?  
  
She knew he was overprotective especially of the women in his life but that's not what Rindy needed right now, she was growing up and she needed to make her own mistakes and discover her own way of life. Racing out of the common room Ginny found Rindy standing just down the corridor, her arms wrapped around a pillar as she sobbed into the dusty red curtain from the window next to it.  
  
"Oh I hate him!'  
  
Rindy moaned, her whole body shuddering with the strength of her sobs as Ginny hugged her, stroking her hair and whispering into her ear gently.  
  
"You don't hate him, you're just angry."  
  
Rindy sighed, choking on her tears before nodding into Ginny's shoulder and allowing her to pull her to her feet.  
  
"I suppose you're right, I just don't understand why he can't just let me live my life sometimes."  
  
Ginny nodded, linking arms with Rindy and leading her back to the portrait, reminding her that she had the same problem with Ron, until she'd threatened to tell the school and his mother about an incriminating collection of magazines under the floorboards in his room at the Burrow.  
  
"Well I plan on physically forcing Mason to apologise to the pair of you and then I'm going down for dinner because I am starving!"  
  
Rindy laughed and clambered up through the opening behind the portrait, turning stony eyes to Mason as he was dragged over by Alyssa and Frankie.  
  
"I'm sorry." He mumbled resentfully, looking down at the floor until Cass made a coughing noise at the back of her throat and he glared at her before looking up at his sister.  
  
"I'm sorry, and from now on I'll let you do whatever you want."  
  
Rindy snorted with laughter, her smile lighting up her tear stained face as she hugged her brother.  
  
"Yeah right, let's see how long that lasts."  
  
He grinned at her, glad to be forgiven before turning to Xander who was being reluctantly led over by Cass and Hermione, Ron and Harry following behind with nervous glances at the two boys.  
  
"Well, you're with my sister then."  
  
Xander paled at the look on Mason's face, looking about ready to faint until Mason grinned at him.  
  
"You're not going to punch me again, are you?" Xander stammered.  
  
Mason eyed him slightly before looking over at Rindy's anguished face and grinning.  
  
"No, I knew it had to be someone in the end so I guess I'm kind of glad it's you."  
  
Colour flooded Xander's face so face he looked like a thermometer thrust into a mug of boiling water. The two friends shook hands awkwardly before turning to the rest of the group who were staring at them with amused looks on their faces.  
  
"Come on! I am starving!"  
  
Never one to say no to food, Ron followed Ginny out of the portrait hole, everyone else trailing along behind them chattering happily now peace had been restored with Rindy and Xander blushing and holding hands at the back.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"Oh forget about that, what's going on with you and Malfoy? I saw you both exchanging some hot and heavy looks in Ancient Mythology before." Alyssa butted in, shoving Noah over and leaning in closer to Ginny who was blushing furiously now.  
  
"Oh, err... not much."  
  
Mason snorted into his pudding and Noah lowered his eyes; suddenly becoming very interested in the remains of his dinner.  
  
"What? What do these guys know that I don't?" Alyssa asked impatiently.  
  
Noah felt the heat grow in his face and smiled gratefully as Frankie and Cass noisily rejoined the table.  
  
"What's this I hear? Do mine ears deceive me? Someone knowing something more than Alyssa?" Cass said in fake shock, cupping a hand to her ear and leaning closer.  
  
"Oh shove off, Cass." Alyssa laughed, punching her on the arm.  
  
"Well, you know after you went up to the hospital wing this morning, after Charms?"  
  
Mason decided to take the plunge as Ginny was gazing down at her plate and hoping Alyssa had forgotten what they had been talking about.  
  
"How could I forget?" Alyssa muttered, rolling her eyes and leaning over the table towards Mason; "Go on."  
  
"Well Malfoy asked..." He trailed off when Frankie snorted and he rolled his eyes.  
  
"Alright; demanded to talk to Ginny alone..."  
  
Xander decided to interrupt now as he had caught the look on Noah's face.  
  
"And Noah, being from the family he is, decided to stay behind and do a little eavesdropping."  
  
He cackled evilly, nudging Noah in the ribs. Alyssa was desperate to know what was going on now.  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
Ginny decided to speak up as it was actually her story in the first place.  
  
"Not much... he asked me to that dance thing next week."  
  
Alyssa let out a shriek of laughter that caused half of the room to look at her briefly before returning to their dinners.  
  
"Don't be so dismissive about it girl! I think that boy is fine! Well he is!" She added defensively when Xander shot her a look.  
  
Ginny grinned sheepishly and looked up at Alyssa, shrugging her shoulders and trying to ignore the fact her face still resembled a stop sign in colour. She gave a start as Mason jumped to his feet and abruptly left the room, not looking back and not saying a word to anyone.  
  
"What the?"  
  
Ginny turned to look at Rindy who was watching her brother walk away with a completely blank face. She opened her mouth to say something but Rindy cut her off;  
  
"Couldn't you tell? He likes you."  
  
Ginny stared at Rindy with her mouth hanging open, Noah, Alyssa and Xander all gazing from one to the other as Rindy got to her feet and followed her brother.  
  
"I..."  
  
But Ginny couldn't think what to say; she'd had no idea that Mason liked her and now it looked like she'd upset both siblings. She got up slowly and mumbled about apologising before scurrying out of the room, her eyes searching everywhere for them.  
  
She finally found Mason at the top of Astronomy tower, sitting silently on the small balcony where there were numerous telescope stands set up for that evening's lesson. She didn't say anything as she sat next to him, following his gaze out to the horizon; finally she had to say something.  
  
"Mason... I..."  
  
He shook his head and turned to look at her.  
  
"It doesn't matter; I suppose I should have told you I liked you before. But I didn't want to in case you didn't like me that way." He cut himself off and Ginny moved to sit in front of him, taking his hands in hers and leaning towards him.  
  
"Mason, look... if I wasn't getting completely hooked on someone else, which I can't stop cos if I could I would definitely not be with that bastard, anyway as I was saying I'd definitely fall for you."  
  
He looked up at her, the flush that had crept into his cheeks when she had taken his hands deepening.  
  
"Really?" He muttered, hardly daring to sound hopeful.  
  
"Of course, you're cute, you make me laugh, you're a great friend; you're everything a girl could want."  
  
His face got darker with every compliment she paid him and she fought hard to hide the smile that was creeping up on her.  
  
"Thanks, Ginny."  
  
She grinned at him and got up to leave;  
  
"And..."  
  
She turned back to look at him.  
  
"I'm here if you ever get over whoever it is."  
  
He grinned nervously and dropped his eyes to look down at his feet, jumping as he felt Ginny reach out to him. He held onto her tightly, knowing he wouldn't ever be anything more than a friend to her, but happy to just be that.  
  
A few seconds later he pulled away from her and told her not to worry about Rindy, he's go find her and talk to her about it all. She smiled at him as he left and turned to lean against the balcony railing, her mind replaying the day's events in wonder.  
  
((Flashback))  
  
"Ginny!"  
  
Ginny spun around and searched the crowded corridor for whoever had shouted her name. She finally saw Draco struggling through the crowds to get to her; he smirked at her as he reached her side at last and dragged her over to the wall to talk to her.  
  
"I saw you and that guy from your year yesterday." He said, colour slightly tingeing his cheeks as she stared at him, not sure of what to say.  
  
"What I meant is err... is he taking you to the dance?"  
  
Ginny flushed and shook her head; she couldn't speak for some reason and her hands gripping her books in her hands were becoming slippery with nervous sweat.  
  
"Draco!"  
  
They both twisted around to see Blue and their Slytherin group gesturing wildly at him.  
  
"Come on! We're gonna be late for Advanced Potions!"  
  
Ginny turned back to him and grinned, watching him from under lashes as he waved his friends away.  
  
"Are you trying to get at something, Mr Malfoy?"  
  
His face was blank as always but she could see amusement in his eyes, the eyes she was slowly learning to read.  
  
"Yeah, I'm trying to ask you to the dance but annoying interruptions are making it as bloody difficult as training Madam Maxine for the fucking ballet."  
  
She laughed and shook her head, ignoring the animal instincts she was used to leaping up inside her whenever he was within two feet of her.  
  
"Well if it helps at all, I'm going to say yes."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her and she imitated him, her smirk matching his exactly.  
  
"Of course you are, who wouldn't?"  
  
She was too used to his arrogance to bother by now so she just rolled her eyes and punched him on his hard muscular forearm.  
  
"Whatever, I'll see you there then."  
  
She waved and darted down the now deserted corridor towards Griffindor tower, ignoring the several portraits that scolded her for running in the hallways as she passed.  
  
((End flashback))  
  
"Well obviously the guy likes you!"  
  
Ginny was sat in the common room with Hermione, Alyssa, Xander and Noah that night discussing her 'date' with Blue, discussing why he might have asked her to go while Ron and Harry were at a detention for Snape so wouldn't overhear them.  
  
"He does?"  
  
She mumbled, staring into the fire as her four friends tried to convince her, Hermione's enchanted needles clicking and flashing in midair as she reread Hogwarts a History for what must have been the hundredth time.  
  
"He asked you out didn't he?"  
  
She nodded slowly. "Well no he pretty much told me he was taking me to the dance..."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's just Malfoy's way, he's too proud to ask someone, if he asked someone they might say no, but if he told them they have no choice really."  
  
"And, he was willing to be late for Snape's class just to ask you out, I think that's a fair point."  
  
Xander cut in, looking terrified at the very thought of what Snape would do to one of them if they were late for his class.  
  
"Whoa! For real?"  
  
Ginny jumped about a foot off her chair when Rindy and Mason cried aloud from behind her.  
  
"That's not funny!" She snapped. "But yes, for real."  
  
Noah laughed and moved up on the couch so the siblings could collapse onto it.  
  
"Sounds like he's got it bad."  
  
He grinned, winking at a flushing Ginny who purposefully avoided looking at Mason who was putting on a brave face, surprised that it didn't hurt as much as he would have thought. 


	6. Giving In Part I

A/N: as always I only own the characters not recognised from the books  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'She Is Beautiful' by Andrew W.K.  
  
Thanx for all the reviews, I didn't know ppl liked my writing so much lol as for more D/G action, there will be some but I intend to tease you all for a little longer first = P  
  
This is only the first half of this part of the story; the next chapter will be the follow up half  
  
This chapter is dedicated to my hat whore Lauren, she's the one who has her hair in the pins/buns things so deserves to be mentioned cos of her greatness. Luv ya babes! xx  
  
Chapter Six – Giving In Part I  
  
I ain't got nothing to lose  
Going to throw it away  
And talk to you  
She looks good  
She looks good  
And it's true  
And it's true  
The girl is beautiful  
She is beautiful  
  
"Welcome students. Now, since we had several complaints over the groups last lesson, I've reworked them if you take a look at the wall behind there is a list of your groups. You will be in assigned groups of six and from that group your pairings are also listed."  
  
Professor Isaac said, waving a careless hand at the wall behind her where a list was pinned, the names of each group glittering a different colour. Ginny grinned at Noah, Xander and Alyssa before wandering over to the wall with the rest of the class.  
  
"Hey, we're all in the same group. Oh no!"  
  
She groaned, her face falling as she saw who her partner was, this was all she needed when her emotions were haywire.  
  
"Well well, control yourself boy."  
  
Pike smirked down at Ginny who glared up at him in disgust before a smile slowly lit up her face.  
  
"Oh I can't wait for this."  
  
She mumbled to Noah who was hovering next to the list looking out for his partner who was someone he had never heard of. Out of the corner of her eyes Ginny saw Draco shoot her a curious look, she turned to listen to what Pike was saying to his best friend; a drop dead gorgeous Ravenclaw he was never seen without.  
  
Deacon Price was taller than the average seventh year with slicked back black hair that contrasted with his tanned features, his huge wicked amber eyes sparkled permanently and his succulent mouth was always arranged into a heartbreaking grin as he continuously cracked jokes that made everyone around him laugh, yet he was seemingly unaware of his good looks, never noticing how girls' eyes followed him around practically drooling. He was only slightly less popular than Blue and Draco but no where near as gorgeous no matter how handsome he was.  
  
"You'll never guess who I'm partnered with."  
  
Pike bragged, lowering his tone as Deacon's fan club edged nearer to them hopefully.  
  
"From the look on your face; Ginny Weasley?"  
  
Pike scowled as Deacon's eyes glinted mischievously before nodding slowly. Ginny blushed as Deacon began to tease Pike lightly, her eyes meeting Draco's, he raised an eyebrow at her and she lowered her eyes as Noah dragged her away from Pike and, unfortunately for her pride, closer to Draco and Blue.  
  
"Don't forget, you're not meant to have vampire strength. You're supposed to be a weakling!"  
  
He hissed, holding onto Ginny as she tried to squirm away from Draco's amused stare, she stopped wriggling and looked sulkily up at Noah, clicking her tongue.  
  
"Way to spoil the fun, killjoy."  
  
Noah sighed and shook his head ruefully; recognising Fred and George's mischievous sparkle in her eyes.  
  
"Just don't do too much damage to him, alright Ginny?"  
  
Ginny flashed him an innocent grin and fluttered her eyelashes before winking.  
  
"Now, would I do anything to hurt ickle Pike?"  
  
Noah's smooth white forehead was punctured sharply as his eyebrow flew up at this statement, almost getting lost in his hair. Ginny shot him a devilish grin before wandering over to join Pike as Professor Isaac whistled for attention.  
  
"Now, I don't expect many of you to be able to do this move as it takes far stronger upper muscles and skills than any student should possess. But what you're going to do is; first take a sword then I want you to circle each other three times. Then you will both attack and we shall see who comes closest to being disarmed, understand? Alright then, GO!"  
  
The command echoed around the room, punctuated by sighs as the girls heaved on the swords and circled their partners warily. Glancing around, Ginny caught sight of Noah and his partner; a pretty girl with blonde curls from Hufflepuff, he seemed extremely nervous at wielding the huge heavy object around her especially as he was supposed to be trying to hurt her.  
  
Stifling her giggles, Ginny turned around to see Alyssa eyeing her nervously as she jabbed her sword at Xander vaguely, not even paying the slightest bit of attention. Ginny rolled her eyes and prodded the air around Pike gently making a few grunting noises from the 'effort'.  
  
Pike smirked down at her, pressing himself even harder against her;  
  
"Oooh, Weasley, those noises sound familiar."  
  
He laughed, slapped her arse with his free hand as she circled him with death written in her eyes. Looking up Ginny caught sight of Draco glaring daggers at Pike; if looks could kill he would have been long gone.  
  
"That's it."  
  
She seethed through gritted teeth as he grabbed her once again, and abandoning all pretences of being a weak little girl Ginny grabbed hold of her sword and dashed at him with an expertise she had never had before.  
  
"Now remember, you have to do quick short jabs rather than long thrusts as that would get you and your opponent into a long rally which is tiring and..."  
  
Professor Isaac trailed off as Ginny gave an expert flick of her wrist that sent Pike's sword flying into the air where it spun wildly before she caught it with her spare hand, the force of her blow knocking him to the ground where he lay staring up at her, stunned.  
  
"Or I find that always works as well."  
  
Deacon muttered, doubled over with helpless laughter as were most of the room. Draco wandered over to Ginny and helped her to her feet where she had fallen over as Pike's arms and legs flailed about the air.  
  
"Um... class dismissed."  
  
Ginny shot Pike a smug look before flipping her long red plait over her shoulder and darting into the changing rooms to strip her work out clothes and pull on her robes for dinner next.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"Hey Ginny, will you come into Hogsmeade with me this afternoon so I can get my outfit for the dance tonight?"  
  
Ginny looked up from her rhubarb crumble and nodded, shoving her plate away and stretching luxuriously. She jumped when Draco and Blue's voices rang in her head; she wasn't used to the three way conversations yet and things could get very confusing.  
  
'Helping the mudblood with her style I see.'  
  
Ginny jerked her head up and glared at Draco who was slouched lazily back in his chair.  
  
'Don't you ever call her that again.'  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her as her eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
'Calm down, he was joking weren't you Draco?'  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes when Blue leapt in, defusing the fight before they lost control and Changed in the middle of dinner.  
  
'Whatever, don't test me, Malfoy.'  
  
Draco lifted both eyebrows at the use of his last name before grinning seductively at her.  
  
'Now is that any way to treat your rescuer?'  
  
Ginny felt her blushes building but she held them back suddenly, the noise of the hall fading to nothing so it was just the three of them.  
  
'Rescuer?'  
  
Blue butted in, staring from one to the other curiously.  
  
'I stopped Filch catching her out of bounds last night.'  
  
Ginny narrowed her eyes and glared at him.  
  
((Flashback))  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Ginny bit back her scream as she leapt so far off the floor her feet nearly lost contact with the hard stone. She spun around and glared Draco as he lounged against the doorframe, a black silhouette against the harsh yellow light of the torch in the corridor behind him.  
  
"Ssh!"  
  
She hissed, dragging him into the room and sliding the door closed silently behind him.  
  
"I dropped my pendant in on my way back from Training and I can't find the bloody thing."  
  
He watched her, disbelief widening his eyes slightly in a way in Blue and herself could read.  
  
"So you came all the way down here, after hours to find a pendant. What were you doing in a deserted classroom anyway?"  
  
His eyes glittered suggestively and she rolled her eyes, letting out a gasp of delight when she saw her silver pendant shimmering by the door. She darted over to it and checked it for breakages before slipping it around her neck.  
  
"So you've found it."  
  
It was a statement not a question and Ginny nodded unnecessarily, suddenly aware of how small the room was and how suspicious it would look to anyone walking in now.  
  
He crossed the space between them in two long strides until he was stood inches away from her, his eyes teasing hers as they glowed mercury bright in the moonlight, his hair highlighted and shining in the shadows. He reached up and pushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes, his touch soft and caressing, his hands surprisingly warm. She felt her heartbeat quicken and she gave an involuntary shoulder when his breath stroked her cheek.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
She whispered, barely trusting herself to move as she pressed her back against the wall.  
  
"Waiting for Filch to go past."  
  
Ginny heard the caretaker's footsteps as he limped past, his mangy cat right behind him as always, his harsh voice mumbling softly to himself.  
  
"He's gone."  
  
Draco continued, stating the obvious but not moving. Ginny nodded, running her fingertips over the plane of his cheek. His lips moved in towards hers but she pulled back grinning at him.  
  
"Good night Draco."  
  
She slipped out from under his arm and left the room silently, her robes billowing out behind her as she raced back to her dormitory.  
  
((End flashback))  
  
'What do you want, a thank you?'  
  
He smirked over at her and she glowered back, fighting against the urge to laugh.  
  
"Fine thank you. Satisfied?'  
  
He shot her a suggestive look and she felt her body squirm under his hot gaze, Blue nearly killing himself laughing, banging a fist on the table, as he listened in.  
  
'Not at all.'  
  
Ginny made an indignant noise in the back of her throat although she was trying desperately not to laugh along with Blue.  
  
'You're revolting.'  
  
She rolled her eyes and watched as Blue fell off the bench at the look on Ginny and Draco's faces. Pansy looked down at Blue as though he had lost his mind as he crawled back into his seat shaking his head.  
  
'You two are better than Jim Davidson.'  
  
Draco looked at him, puzzled.  
  
'Who the hell?'  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes again.  
  
'A muggle comedian. Only he's actually funny whereas you merely think you are.'  
  
Draco pulled a face at her and she fluttered her eyes at him innocently.  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
Jumping and spinning around her seat Ginny found all her friends looking at her with curious looks on their faces, all except for Noah who was watching her suspiciously. She blushed and shrugged, remembering that Noah had probably just heard ever word they had exchanged, but as he hadn't been trained to that extent yet he didn't know how to do it himself.  
  
"You look like you've got a migraine coming on or something, you face was all screwed up and your eyes were nearly shut."  
  
Ginny shrugged as Ron looked at her nervously.  
  
"I'm fine Ron, stop worrying."  
  
He continued to watch her until she downed the rest of her pumpkin juice and got to her feet.  
  
"Ready to shop Hermione?"  
  
Hermione jumped and nodded, getting to her feet and kissing Ron briefly on the lips before following Ginny out of the Hall towards the front doors.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"Hmmmm... what about this one?"  
  
Ginny looked up as Hermione pulled a long black dress off the sale rack and held it over her. It fell all the way down to the floor and had long full length ripped black lace sleeves.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
Hermione looked up at Ginny who removed the dress from her hands and shoved it back on the rack with a disgusted look on her face.  
  
"Do you not know what the whole point of Halloween is?"  
  
Hermione was just about to launch into a long-winded explanation of how Halloween came about but Ginny held up a hand to halt her and headed towards the clothes at the back of the shop that were a lot less innocent than a full length dress.  
  
"The whole point, is to be whatever you want to be and not have to worry about what others think, tonight you are going to go seductive Goth goddess and my brother is going to have a heart attack when he sees you."  
  
As she spoke Ginny pulled a tight black mini-dress off the rack and handed it to a dubious Hermione before dragging her over to the changing rooms.  
  
"Gin, I'm not sure about this."  
  
Ginny clucked her tongue impatiently and pulled open the curtain to see Hermione looking darkly dazzling in the dress.  
  
"It's perfect!"  
  
Ginny cried, circling Hermione to see it from all sides. It fell to just about mid thigh in ragged black pleats, the bodice sporting a large purple cross down the front and the sleeves nothing more than jagged bits of black lace at the shoulders that fell to halfway to her elbow.  
  
Once the dress had been paid for Ginny dragged Hermione into a gothic shop well hidden from the main street behind the Hogs Head. Once inside she headed straight for a display of all sorts of accessories on the back wall, pulling down two pairs of black fishnet tights with several holes all over and a packet of black silk ribbons.  
  
Humming to herself she headed over to the till and handed over Hermione's money cheerfully. Glancing at her watch she let out a stifled shriek and raced out of the shop with Hermione on her heels.  
  
"Ginny what are we running for?"  
  
Ginny slowed down slightly as a stitch scratched at her side and she gasped out;  
  
"The dance starts in three hours."  
  
Hermione looked startled at this piece of news and hastily checked her own watch before following Ginny up to her dorm room.  
  
"You can dress in here since I'm guessing you have no idea what accessories will go with that dress."  
  
Hermione looked indignant but nodded and collapsed onto Ginny's bed, watching in amusement as Alyssa, Ginny, Rindy and Cass darted around the room applying make up, some muggle some magic, and fighting over mirror space.  
  
"Just put the dress and the tights on and I'll do the rest." Ginny told Hermione bossily, already pulling on her own tight black skirt that barely covered anything.  
  
Hermione nodded and dutifully tugged on the dress, gaping in shock when Ginny emerged from the bathroom totally transformed. To go with the skirt she had a matching black crop top with long sleeves of black lace with slits from the shoulder to the wrist so they weren't sleeves at all really, just material that hung at her sides. She had also tugged on a pair of blood-red and black striped tights, the thick horizontal coloured stripes matching her outfit and hair perfectly.  
  
Glancing up at her hair Hermione had to admit Ginny had some wonderful ideas at gothic hairstyles. Her hair was twisted up into two dark red buns with a parting that zigzagged down instead of a plain line. The buns had pins sticking out of them all over, some dangling from them others stuck right through them. She had little red curls falling into her face which was barely made up yet still looked amazing.  
  
"Come on."  
  
Ginny sat Hermione down on her bed and knelt up behind her with a pair of straightners and all kinds of little clips and bobbles and magical hair styling mousses and sprays. She quickly straightened her entire hair so it fell in sleek waves before running a quick brush through it. She started at the front and braided what Hermione recognised as a mixture of a fish plait and a French plait.  
  
Ginny stuck her tongue between her teeth as she worked, starting the braids just above level with the corner of Hermione's eyes and worked them so they went up to the crown of her head down in diagonal lines to behind her ears and then horizontally back to where they had met at first just beneath the crown of her head.  
  
She quickly tied the ends of them securely with the small black bobbles she had borrowed from Cass before brushing some mousse and gel into the rest of her hair that was left down and using a considerable amount of hairspray.  
  
Grinning up at her gob smacked friends who were gaping at the transformed Hermione she summoned the ribbons from her bag and wound them tightly up Hermione's arms in diagonal strips.  
  
"Err... Ginny, what are you doing?"  
  
Hermione asked uncertainly, flinching slightly when Ginny glared up at her before getting to her feet and grabbing her make up bag from her bedside table. She knelt down before Hermione and pulled her head towards her slightly harsher than she had meant to.  
  
She outlined her eyes with thick black eyeliner, making points at the outside corners like Cleopatra and adding lots of layers of witch mascara that smoked slightly before curling the lashes and lengthening them. Moving on she didn't bother with blusher as Hermione's skin flushed slightly anyway, she pulled out a tube of black lipstick and clutched Hermione's cheeks faintly indicating she needed to pout her lips.  
  
"Cass!"  
  
She bellowed, as Cass appeared at her side from the bathroom already dressed in tight black leather pants, a matching corset and plenty of black make-up, her hair dyed ebony for the occasion.  
  
"Can you paint Hermione's nails black for me while I do my make up?"  
  
Cass nodded and seized Hermione's hands, fussing over how nice her nails were before summoning Ginny's black nail varnish from under her bed somewhere.  
  
Ginny shoved Ginny out of the way playfully and matched her eyes to Hermione's, only curling her flicks underneath slightly and lengthening them. She scowled at her freckles before filling her lips in with a dark red-wine coloured lipstick before checking her hair one last time.  
  
"Right, ten minutes to go."  
  
She wandered back into her room, glad she had done her nails and had a shower before she had gone into Hogsmeade. She collapsed onto the bed next to Hermione and pulled on her knee-high clumpy black gothic boots glaring at the straps and hoping they might decide to do themselves up.  
  
She yanked open her wardrobe after Hermione gave her a pointed look and unearthed a pair of matching boots but these had silver lining on them and she handed them to Hermione who fastened them with a doubtful look on her face.  
  
"Will you lot hurry up?!"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes when her brother's voice echoed up the stairs sounding impatient and bored already.  
  
"We're coming!"  
  
She shouted back, grabbing a suddenly nervous Hermione by the elbow and hauling her down the stairs with her friends at her heels. As she had predicted Ron fell out of his chair when he saw Hermione and sat on the floor in a dazed heap staring up at her.  
  
"Hermione..."  
  
He started weakly, trailing off when Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet before kissing Ginny and Hermione on the cheek and wandering over to see Cass who was his date, something she had mentioned at least once a day for the past week.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes when Hermione and Ron promptly began a heated make out session which she was glad of as it meant her brother wouldn't notice her outfit for a while. She took the time to study her brother's and decided he must have asked Bill for advice on it because it looked both cool and attractive, something Ron really couldn't do for himself for some reason.  
  
He was clad in mostly the same as every male in the upper school was, only his pants were black leather rather than jeans and his coloured shirt was a strange dark green that actually suited him very well, Ginny had the sneaking suspicion that the shirt was Bill's as well but she didn't bother to ask.  
  
"Are we going now?"  
  
Ginny whined, rolling her eyes like Ginny had when she caught sight of Ron and Hermione still glued together. They pulled apart reluctantly but kept their hands clasped as every Griffindor from fourth year upwards headed as one towards the portrait hole.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
For once Draco could think of nothing to say as Ginny stood at the top of the marble stairs, staring down at him. She looked stunning and if he'd looked at anyone else but her he would have noticed he wasn't the only one stood staring.  
  
He pulled himself together and smirked up at her as she descended the staircase with a cheeky grin on her face, her hand held out for him to kiss mockingly. She took his arm and they grinned at each other until Blue came marching over to them with his date who was, Ginny noticed with little surprise, someone else's girlfriend.  
  
She nodded coldly as she realised who it was and the girl glared back, lifting her head a little so she could stare down her nose at Ginny.  
  
"Juno, Ginny, Ginny, Juno."  
  
Blue did quick introductions, noting with some amusement the hostility between the girls before Juno stalked off to talk to some of her girl friends.  
  
"Why are you with her?" Ginny snarled, jerking her head in Juno's direction where she was sniggering at a passing Hufflepuff girl's outfit with her group.  
  
"She's an Ancient."  
  
If Ginny had been holding anything she would surely have dropped it at that moment as she gawped at Blue who was waving cheerfully at an old conquest who blushed and waved back discretely behind her date's back.  
  
"That means there's only one girl left to find. I wonder what Ancient Juno is."  
  
Ginny glared at the blonde girl's back, furious that she would have to spend time with her now. From the moment the two of them had set eyes on each other they had been enemies, much like Harry and Draco were. They had no specific reason why, they just hated each other and detested the very sight of one another.  
  
"Air by the look of it."  
  
Ginny didn't even bother to ask Blue how he knew that she just sighed and dragged the two Slytherins towards the doors when they opened.  
  
"Juno!" Blue called over the crowd, looking vaguely around but not really bothered if he found her or not.  
  
"Leave her, she'll find us."  
  
Disgust evident in Ginny's voice Draco smirked to himself and dragged Ginny and Blue over to a table at the back of the room.  
  
After dinner the Weird Sisters trooped onto the raised platform where the teacher's table normally was and opened the dancing. Blue immediately disappeared onto the dance floor with Juno and Ginny glanced up as Draco got to his feet and stood over her.  
  
"I suppose you want to dance."  
  
It was a statement not a question and Ginny grinned slyly up at him, not moving from her seat but leaning back in her chair so she could see his face.  
  
"Are you gonna ask me?"  
  
He didn't answer but bent down and gripped her hands in his, pulling her gently to her feet and leading her onto the dance floor just as a slow song began. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, glad she could now control her blushes because she was pretty sure she'd be tomato red otherwise.  
  
He leant in towards her and she breathed in his familiar scent, letting it fill her head as she laid it on his shoulder, her head nestled in the crook between his chin and shoulder. His hands drifted to her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck, swaying her body to the beat and watching Harry and Cass as they passed.  
  
Watching as Harry's head very slowly lowered towards Cass's, a smile crept over her face and she felt a flood of happiness for her friend, mixed with a strong feeling of relief that she didn't like him in that way anymore.  
  
When the song ended she pulled away slightly so she could see his face, somewhat softened by the first genuine smile she had ever seen on his face before. They moved off the dance floor as a much faster beat had people swinging each other round.  
  
"I'll go get us some drinks."  
  
Ginny nodded and wandered back over to their table where Blue was guzzling down a bottle of Butterbeer as Juno got to her feet wiping her mouth and disappeared into the mass of black swaying on the dance floor.  
  
"When are you and Draco going to get it over with?"  
  
Blue asked, laying his arm along the back of her chair as she slouched down into Juno's recently vacated seat. She looked up at him, masking the tension in her eyes with curiosity as he grinned down at her.  
  
"Get what over with?"  
  
He rolled his eyes and she laughed before shrugging her shoulders and watching Harry and Cass getting closer and closer while Hermione and Ron had disappeared into a corner and were in the middle of some very heavy petting.  
  
"You want to know what I think?"  
  
Ginny looked up at him with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Not particularly, but you're going to tell me anyway."  
  
He laughed and nodded, putting his own opinion forward.  
  
"I think you should just screw each other and get that shit over with."  
  
She punched him on the arm laughing, his closeness sending waves of pleasure rippling over her but not in the same way as Draco's slightest touch did.  
  
"Blue, with you screwing solves everything."  
  
Blue nodded and watched as a pretty sixth year girl danced close by with someone Ginny vaguely knew as his fellow Slytherin. The dance involved a lot of grinding and gyrating and Ginny rolled her own eyes as Blue's took in every inch of her expertly.  
  
"I'm going to go look for Draco."  
  
Blue waved a hand vaguely at her, kissing her on the cheek as she got to her feet and left the room, waving as couple after couple called her name as she passed. She made her way slowly across the room, her eyes searching everywhere for a flash of bright silver hair.  
  
Deciding he must have gone outside for some air she wandered out through the wide open doors, her eyes sweeping over the glittering bushes that were filled with miniature fairies the same as from her third year at the Triwizard Tournament opening dance.  
  
She had already reached the lake by the time she finally saw him, stood at the edge looking impressive and imposing. She crept up behind him and wrapped her hands over his eyes, felling his feathery lashes brushing against her palms as he blinked.  
  
He gripped her hands gently and pulled her around in front of him, his hands on her arms at her sides, the pair of them looking out over the lake as the moonlight rippled over it.  
  
"Do you think the water's cold?"  
  
The random question dropped out of her mouth before she had time to think of how stupid it sounded but he didn't laugh, in fact he didn't move at all. When he spoke she could feel his ribs moving against her back;  
  
"I have no idea, want to find out?"  
  
She looked up at him with a mischievous glint in her eye and danced away from him, tugging him along behind her as she waded out into the water. He lifted her up and threw her in, his vampire strength sending her about three metres up into the air before she landed with a loud splash in the middle.  
  
She surfaced spluttering, her hair falling out almost immediately and dropping over her shoulder as she leapt onto his back and pushed him under laughing. The two of them stayed there for about ten minutes laughing and play-wrestling before Draco heard someone shout his name.  
  
"I'll be right back."  
  
He waded out and back onto the grounds, his clothes soaked and his hair slicked back from his face as he searched for whoever had called his name. Feeling a hand on his back he spun around expecting to see Ginny, hardly taking in that it wasn't before the girl threw herself on him, knocking him to the ground.  
  
Ginny glanced up in time to Draco and some girl locked in a passionate embrace. She froze for a moment, her heart stalling as she stared in horror before reality kicked in and she headed for the banks, her heart feeling as though it was breaking through her chest.  
  
... 


	7. Giving In Part II

A/N: you know the drill; nothing's mine but the characters you don't recognise.  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Right Kind of Wrong' by Leanne Rimes  
  
Thanx for all the reviews ppl, I'm updating as fast as I can lol  
  
Chapter Seven – Giving In Part II  
  
I know all about,  
Yea about your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time that I'm with you, ah  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can fight it any more  
Oh I know, I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
  
Ginny struggled out of the river and scrambled up the bank, stopping only grab her shoes from where she'd tossed them carelessly to the floor earlier before storming across the sloping grounds, not bothering to look behind her at Draco who was slipping and sliding after her. His repeated shouts of;  
  
"Ginny, wait!"  
  
Were lost in the thunder and lightening that tore open the sky above them, rain raced down in thick sheets at Draco's bidding practically obscuring all visibility. Through the sheets of pounding rain Ginny saw the safety of the castle and her pace quickened, her short black skirt was sticking to her tights and her matching tight black crop top was falling off one shoulder as the drenched material clung to her chest and rode even higher than its short ending above her navel.  
  
Her hair was whipping about her face as she stumbled up the steps leading to the huge front doors which slid open as she approached to allow her entry. She slithered to a halt along the smooth floor in the vast marble hall and dropped her hands onto her knees which were slick with rainwater as she gasped for breath, tears now mingling with the rainwater running from her hair down her face and her heaving chest.  
  
Every torch she passed burst into vicious flames about three feet high as she passed before fading as she moved on. She was surprised she wasn't Changing but she didn't complain, if she Changed now she would end up doing something she wouldn't be able to take back when she returned to normal.  
  
Barely noticing that the Great Hall was now empty so everyone must have returned to their dorms to continue partying she gasped for breath and straightened up slightly.  
  
She viciously swiped at the tears and, pulling her hand away from her face, gave a start as she saw a trickle of blood running down her palm. She spun around to look at her reflection in one of the large arched windows next to the door and fingered the small cut along her left cheek; now that she knew it was there she could feel it sting as the salt from her tears washed over it.  
  
"Ginny!"  
  
She spun around when she heard Draco call her name and shook her head as he raced over to her, wobbling as he almost lost his balance in the puddle of water the two of them dripping had made in the centre of the hall. She ducked away from him as he reached out to her and, letting out a heartbreaking sob, she sprinted up the marble staircase towards the common room. The pain in her chest seemed to give her feet wings as she flew up staircases, down corridors and around corners, dashing through various secret passageways until she found herself outside the Fat Lady's Portrait.  
  
For a second her mind went as blank as the woman's face before her until she quickly hissed the password and scrambled in through the opening. She shook her head furiously once she was inside and backed sideways against the wall near the entrance, her head falling back against the wall despairingly as her legs gave way beneath her and she slid down the wall, bringing her knees up to her chin and dropping her head so her forehead fell forwards onto her knees.  
  
Tears overtook her and she sobbed unrestrainedly until a hand on her shoulder made her raise her head to see through a haze of tears; Noah, Ron and Alyssa.  
  
"Ginny?" Xander mumbled cautiously. "What is it?"  
  
She couldn't bring herself to speak as images flashed before her eyes and a fresh wave of tears glided down her grief-stricken face.  
  
"Is it... is it something to do with Malfoy?"  
  
Ginny turned slowly to look at Alyssa, not noticing that her brother had spun around to look at her so fast at these words he almost overbalanced from his crouching position. Ginny slowly nodded her head as someone burst through the door.  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
She looked up to see Draco and she no longer felt angry, just desolate as the pain in her chest built, not sparing a thought as to how he got in there in the first place she merely gazed up at him as her friends backed away slightly.  
  
"Why?" Her words were coarse from the tears and hung heavy with pain in the air. "You know it physically hurts; did you think I wouldn't have known?"  
  
As one her group of friends turned to look uneasily at Draco who didn't look back, he just continued to gaze at Ginny.  
  
"I... I don't know... it just sort of happened... she just came at me..."  
  
Ginny shook her head; she didn't want to know, she struggled to her feet and headed towards her dormitory slowly.  
  
"Ginny."  
  
The pain, she could only detect because of her vampire blood, in the plea made her freeze and turn to look back at Draco.  
  
"What? What, Draco? What is it that you want?"  
  
She stared at him with haunted eyes; she didn't even have the energy to cry anymore. He took a step towards her, both of them unaware that the entire room was now focused entirely on them and the only sound besides their voices was the crackling of the fire that had practically exploded when she'd first entered and which was now only slightly larger than normal but still giving off more heat than usual, and the roar of the rain against the windows.  
  
If the two of them had decided to take a look around they would have found the sight amusing; Frankie and Hermione were clinging onto each other in terror, their hands full of each others clothes as they gripped each other, their cheeks pressed together as they stared at Ginny and Draco from behind a desk piled with research books and homework essays in the centre of the room.  
  
Cass was kneeling in front of the fire, her books spread out in front of her and her copy of Witch Weekly tossed carelessly to the side when Harry had gone to lie on his side next to her, propped halfway up by his elbow; they were both now gaping at Ginny and Draco with their mouths slightly open.  
  
Rindy was sat on the couch by the fire with Xander's head in her lap and his legs sprawled over the opposite arm of the couch, the muggle magazine article she had been reading out to him about his favourite football team hung limp in her hand as they both gazed speechlessly at Draco and Ginny. The rest of the Griffindor's were sprawled haphazardly throughout the common room, some of them sitting on the stairs leading to their dormitories as the noise of Ginny sobbing had called them down.  
  
Ron was still kneeling on the floor, Noah gripping the back of his shirt just in case while Alyssa practically sat on him.  
  
Draco's eyes never left Ginny's face as he took another step towards her.  
  
"You."  
  
His answer was simple and said with the hunger usually restrained in his eyes bleeding into his voice and causing most of the girls to sigh inwardly and the boys to squirm uncomfortably at his courage before his enemies. Ginny and Draco both stepped forward at the same time, closing the distance between them as his hands drifted to rest on her hips, pulling her towards him and her hands shot upwards to twine around his neck, her fingertips stroking the nape of his neck as the few inches of space between their lips got smaller and smaller.  
  
Draco allowed his lips to brush Ginny's slowly, his hesitation at how she would react somehow holding him back, but Ginny leaned forward towards him, a streak of fire dashing through her body as their lips touched again. All of a sudden she was highly aware of everywhere they were touching; their chests pressed together, his slippery hands on her bare hips, her hands on his neck, her body curled into his as the kiss grew. The slow steady kiss they had started out with became deeper as weeks of suppressed animal-like passion thanks to their blood was unleashed in a torrent of emotions and Ginny's very toes began to curl at the bone-melting desire coursing through her body as her lips slowly opened further; allowing Draco access.  
  
Bolts of lightening were firing through both their bodies as his tongue teased hers and she drew even closer to him then anyone watching could have thought humanly possible. His hand strayed upwards to tangle itself in her mane of dark red hair, his hand slipping in the wet strands as she pulled on his neck, drawing his head even closer to hers. They jumped and drew away slightly gasping for breath as almost the entire room burst into a round of applause, punctuated by yells and whistles.  
  
Ginny stared dazedly around the room at her friends cheering, Frankie and Hermione were jumping up and down; gripping each others hands as they danced around, Cass had thrown her arms around Harry, knocking him onto his back as she screamed with joy, and Xander had been thrown onto the floor when Rindy had jumped up cheering. She leant down and pulled him to his feet, still cheering and jumping up and down.  
  
"Now that, boys; was a kiss!"  
  
Most of the room turned to look at Parvarti Patil.  
  
"Damn right! If any guy here thinks he can kiss like that, please form an orderly queue right here!"  
  
Frankie yelled, pointing at the spot in front of her feet to an outbreak of laughter from the entire room.  
  
"Err... Cass, I think you're smothering Harry!"  
  
Ginny mumbled, her face burning; Draco still had an arm around her waist and one around her shoulders, his hand resting on the back of her neck and it was making it incredibly difficult for any rational thoughts.  
  
"Come on Ginny, we have that err... Ancient Mythology essay to finish." Alyssa called over to her, smiling awkwardly at Draco and dragging Ginny away from him, giving her dorm mates significant glances along the way. Making their excuses they all hurried up the stairs after Alyssa and Ginny, collapsing onto their beds and turning to stare at Ginny.  
  
"Wh...what?" Ginny muttered, lowering her eyes.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Ginny snapped her eyes back up to Cass.  
  
"Well what?" She asked, knowing perfectly well what they wanted to know but enjoying holding their attention too much to let on.  
  
"How was it?"  
  
Hermione asked impatiently, crossing her legs and dropping her head into her cupped hand.  
  
"It was..." Ginny paused, trying to put the kiss into words; "Intense." She finally mumbled, flushing as she thought of it.  
  
The girls began to giggle uncontrollably and soon Ginny had to join in, touching her still burning lips in wonder.  
  
"Well, you know who this is seriously going to piss off?"  
  
Ginny looked up at Alyssa curiously; already knowing the answer.  
  
"You mean besides my brother?"  
  
Hermione shook her head and gave her a significant look that said only too well if he said anything she'd deal with her boyfriend.  
  
"Juno Raven."  
  
Cass looked up at Alyssa, confused;  
  
"Why?"  
  
Frankie shook her head;  
  
"Because Juno Raven has been after Malfoy since she first saw him on the first day. She ain't gonna let you get away with stealing him from right under her perfectly straight nose easily, Ginny."  
  
Rindy wrinkled her own nose in confusion and looked from Alyssa to Ginny.  
  
"But... isn't Juno Raven with that Slytherin Chaser, Nickalas Davies?"  
  
Alyssa nodded and shrugged at the same time, flopping down onto her bed.  
  
"Oh yeah, that's another reason she won't be very happy. One; Davies is so far up Draco's arse he practically shouts his name when he's screwing Juno, kind of funny when you think of it. And two; Malfoy is also completely in love with Ginny and it's going to kill Juno to have to see it." Alyssa explained happily, watching as Ginny's hand sped up in its stroking of Crookshanks at the mention of Draco's feelings towards her.  
  
"Oh, who was it that jumped on him by the way? Is that why you were so upset?"  
  
Ginny looked up at Cass and raised an eyebrow before nodding.  
  
"Who do you think?"  
  
Hermione narrowed her eyes and glared moodily out of the window.  
  
"Juno Raven by any chance?"  
  
Ginny nodded.  
  
"Well one thing's for sure, every female heart in this place is going to break tomorrow morning." Rindy grinned, winking at Ginny who looked up at her; puzzled.  
  
"Why?" Frankie asked the question she was thinking and everyone turned to look at Rindy curiously.  
  
"Well as its very hard to keep a secret in this place, by break tomorrow every person in this school is going to know about that kiss. And since very girl in the vicinity is in love with Malfoy, once they find out he's hooked on you all hell's going to break loose."  
  
Ginny blushed and looked down at Crookshanks who was snuggling into her lap; she mumbled something about Rindy being stupid, it was only a kiss but Rindy shook her head.  
  
"Well we all know one stupid person who definitely won't give him up especially to Ginny."  
  
Everyone turned to look at Frankie, all of them knowing who she meant without anyone saying it but Ginny shrugged; she was too happy to worry about anything right now, even Juno bloody Raven's revenge.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
An insistent buzzing filled the dormitory and Ginny crept sleepily out of her quilts, her slender ankle twisting in the sheets and depositing her in a dazed heap between her own and Alyssa's grand beds.  
  
"Whassat?" Cass grumbled sleepily scrambling in her tangle of sheets before ripping her bright head free and staring round the room with unfocused eyes.  
  
"Ooohhh!" Frankie stretched and yawned while fumbling over her bedside cabinet top for her watch; "Seven thirty... I feel like I just went to sleep."  
  
"Come on guys, if we're late for Potions again Snape will blow his top." Alyssa said, already dragging a brush through her long hair ready for the school day.  
  
Ginny stood up and treated herself to a long luxurious stretch before whipping a brush through her striking hair and slowly pulling on her school uniform. She watched in fascination as Frankie mussed up her hair at the back and left the front to frame her pretty face.  
  
"Come on." Alyssa said, slipping her bag onto her shoulder and pulling a yawning Ginny out of the door; "Lets see if the others are among the living yet."  
  
After descending the spiralling stone staircase they found Noah and Xander sitting tousle-haired at the long wooden table listening to Mason and Rindy arguing about some prank or other they were planning to pull some time next week. As Ginny approached Mason stopped talking and gave her a radiant smile which lit up his handsome face and made more than a few girls who were already staring because of Ginny from last night's events take a second glance.  
  
"Breakfast?" Alyssa said at Ginny's elbow, staring around at the others who all looked like they hadn't slept at all.  
  
"Breakfast sounds interesting." Noah said, standing up and stretching.  
  
"Gonna escort us down." Ginny asked, kissing Noah on the cheek as he got to his feet slowly. "What time did you go to bed?"  
  
"Don't think I did, I don't remember anyway." He mumbled, failing to stifle a huge yawn.  
  
Ginny tried not to make eye contact with the dozens of people, mostly girls, who gawped at her as the group made their way down to the Great Hall but it was proving very difficult as everywhere she looked people were staring.  
  
"Merlin, you'd think I'd slept with Snape or something the way everyone's staring."  
  
She grumbled, dropping into a seat next to Harry and scowling down at her plate as he grinned sympathetically.  
  
"They'll get bored soon enough."  
  
Hermione assured her, making sure to keep a tight grip on a certain part of Ron's anatomy under the table so he wouldn't say something awful which he had been dying to do ever since last night when he had raged at Harry until early morning.  
  
"Are you alright Ron? You look like you're about to faint."  
  
Ron nodded weakly and Hermione realised her grip, smiling at him angelically as he grimaced, gingerly checking for any damage.  
  
"Oh look who it is."  
  
Cass smirked, her hand entwined his Harry's as she nodded her head at the doors behind Ginny. Ginny didn't bother turning around, she had sensed him getting closer ever since she had woken up, it was like a shadow at the back of her mind constantly moving, she found it oddly comforting to know he was there.  
  
The entire school turned to look at either Ginny or Draco who was marching across the room laughing with Blue, of course he was used to having everyone staring at him, for Ginny it was a new experience and she wasn't sure whether she liked it or not.  
  
"Come on guys, we've got bloody Potions to look forward to."  
  
Ginny groaned and got slowly to her feet, waving at her friends and waiting patiently by the door as Cass seemed to have attached herself to Harry's lips.  
  
The walk down to the dungeons was not pleasant, Ginny had to endure practically every Slytherin girl in the school hissing and whispering as she passed, but she held her head high and glared at anyone stupid enough to try and get into an argument. All in all she was not in the mood for an hour of Snape and his crap.  
  
Alyssa pushed against the dungeon door but it didn't move, she turned to look at the others who shrugged.  
  
"Well at least we're not late." Alyssa mumbled shivering and wrapping her arms around herself before dropping down onto the floor next to Noah who was slumped next to the door.  
  
Ginny slid down onto the floor opposite Noah and dug her book out of her bag, settling down peacefully with it in her lap.  
  
"What," Noah stared at her book as though it had a head; "Is that?"  
  
Laughing Ginny flipped it up so he could see the cover, 'Dracula'.  
  
"It's a book, Noah; you read it."  
  
He rolled his eyes as Xander snorted with laughter.  
  
"Yeah I know that, what's the story about though, that castle on the front looks like somewhere Snape might live."  
  
Ginny laughed and read him the blurb, grinning when he raised an ironic eyebrow at her.  
  
"Hey I'm reading about my ancestry."  
  
He shook his head and Alyssa immediately jumped in, somewhat confused.  
  
"Draco wasn't real it's fiction, and what do you mean your ancestry, are you related to the author or something."  
  
Ginny looked at Noah who looked back at her before shaking his head slightly and she shrugged.  
  
"Nah, just joking."  
  
Xander looked at her as if she was crazy before shrugging his shoulders, turning around and falling flat on his face.  
  
"Xander! Are you alright?"  
  
Alyssa squealed as he lay sprawled across her outstretched legs, throwing a dirty look at Ginny, Mason and Noah who were trying to hide their giggles.  
  
"Yeah, I tripped over."  
  
Xander scrambled into a sitting position and rubbed at the dust marks on his knees half-heartedly, his face burning as a cold voice rang down the icy corridor.  
  
"Well with feet the size of yours it's hardly surprising."  
  
Ginny looked up warily to see Juno Raven staring down at her, she glanced sideways at a crimson Xander before glaring back up at him.  
  
"Well with a head the size of yours blocking the corridor it's hardly surprising most of the light suddenly stopped in here." Alyssa hissed icily.  
  
Juno turned a pale pink and narrowed her eyes at her before shooting a poisonous glance at Xander.  
  
"Is there a reason you're hanging around with losers like these?" She growled at Ginny jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Xander and making it clear she knew she was an Ancient too.  
  
"Well you'll have to explain yourself a little more, you see my friends which is where you pointed aren't losers. But if you meant yourself, who is considerably more of a loser than them, then I'm not hanging around with you, you just followed us down here."  
  
Juno scowled down at her just as a tall solid object came racing down the corridor, knocking her off her feet and left him in a dishevelled heap between Frankie and Noah. Juno's mouth tightened as the colour built up in her cheeks and she glared round at Xander who was stood up now and leaning against the wall as he doubled over in helpless laughter.  
  
Ginny looked up at what had knocked Juno over and came face to face with Draco who was bent over with his hands clutching his knees fighting for breath. He looked up at Ginny as she clambered to her feet and raised an eyebrow at him but before he could say anything a second person bulldozed down the corridor and would have sent her sprawling back to the floor if Draco hadn't wrenched her out of the way. The person skidded to a halt and limped back over to Draco;  
  
"Alright, I give up, you win, you're faster."  
  
Draco nodded and slapped Blue on the back as he doubled over in a coughing fit; Ginny blushed and turned away when Blue winked over at her, nodding his head at Draco.  
  
"Well." A high voice filled the corridor and a shiver passed over Ginny as Snape marched up to his classroom, glaring at Ginny and shooting a cold vicious look over at Alyssa, Noah, Xander, Frankie and Mason whose laughter ceased immediately.  
  
"In."  
  
Following the order Ginny filed into the classroom behind her friends with Juno right behind her, and as the heavy door swung shut behind the rest of the class five minutes later she felt a feeling of intense foreboding as she turned to look up at Snape, his usual look of distaste curling his thin mouth.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Ginny sidled out of Potions class, thoroughly depressed; she'd barely scraped a passing grade for her homework, Juno had made her knock her Healing potion over so she had received no marks for the days work again and she still hadn't sorted things out with Draco.  
  
She followed Noah, Frankie, Xander and Cass out of the class with a heavy heart, Mason and Alyssa play fighting right behind her. Wandering down the crowded corridors she glanced up in time to see Blue stood outside the entrance to the Slytherin common room chattering with Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle, gazing at her as she passed his eyes burning into her; she lowered her own eyes and blocked out his voice in her head speeding up her pace, hurrying to the Great Hall, her heart pounding in her chest.  
  
She dropped into a seat at one of the spaces closest to the window and pulled her Astronomy text book and essay towards her, planning on getting as much done now as she could without having to stay up all night to finish it. She jumped as Noah dropped his hands heavily onto her shoulders before laughing and plopping down next to her and looking glumly at his school bag as though hoping his homework would leap out and tell him what to write.  
  
She glanced across the room and caught sight of Draco scribbling lazily on a piece of parchment, as he looked up to check a reference in his text book, his eyes met hers and they both stared at each other; unable to break away. Mason banging his book down onto the table and sitting opposite her finally made Ginny drag her eyes away from Draco and she hurriedly went back to her essay.  
  
"Still haven't talked to him about everything yet, huh?"  
  
Ginny looked over at Noah and shrugged her shoulders, the lump in her throat making her quite incapable of speech.  
  
"I don't know what there is to say."  
  
She lowered her voice so Xander couldn't hear them and leaned in closer to Noah.  
  
"You know the whole Mate thing, once you Give In it's permanent and you can't leave them ever."  
  
Noah looked at the dark shadow of his Mark under his thin white shirt thoughtfully.  
  
"I wonder how far you have to go with someone for you to be Give In."  
  
Ginny shrugged and smiled vaguely at Xander who was watching them both curiously.  
  
"Gin?"  
  
Ginny looked up at Noah who was regarding her thoughtfully, the tip of his quill in his mouth as he chewed it.  
  
"That kiss, what was it like? I mean was it any different from any other kisses you've had?"  
  
Ginny sat back in her chair, the kiss playing her mind and all the feelings she had felt then rocketing around inside her. After a few seconds of she nodded at Noah and leaned in close to him again.  
  
"It was, it was like I can't describe it. Like if the kiss ended we'd die, if that makes sense. It's like you know when you're in water and you come up for air and your gasping and the air tastes really sweet and you feel like that's all you need, well it was that really. I felt like his lips and hands, basically him was all I needed for everything to make sense. That's the best I can describe it really."  
  
Noah didn't reply, he leaned back in his chair and stared out at the patch of pale blue sky visible through the window with a brooding look on his face. 


	8. The Foretold Six

A/N: the usual; I only own the characters you don't recognise  
  
Glad people are liking it, thanx for the reviews and yes it was a pain in the arse changing it all but I couldn't be bothered with the whole nagging comments so I thought what the hell.  
  
Cheers for the reviews, enjoy =) cheers babes xx  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'So Confused' by 2Play  
  
Chapter Eight – The Foretold Six  
  
Babe you leave me confused  
  
Dont know if I  
  
should let you know or wait it out girl  
  
Wish I knew just what to do  
  
Im so confused  
  
So girl what you wanna see  
  
Wanna see me get down on my knees  
  
Wanna hear me begging baby please  
  
Wanna hear me crying for mercy  
  
Oh girl I wish I knew your world  
  
I think im losing my head over you  
  
'Ginny!'  
  
Ginny spun around involuntarily and scanned the corridor for Blue, she could hear his voice in her head and she knew he must be close by.  
  
'Yes?'  
  
She gave up looking for him and dropped down onto the floor pretending to be fastening her laces as he continued.  
  
'You remember that Prophecy Dumbledore mentioned?'  
  
Ginny nodded before realising how stupid she must look crouched in the corner of the corridor tying then retying her laces and nodding her head at the floor.  
  
'What about it?'  
  
She could feel his excitement as his voice reverberated in her head.  
  
'We think we've found what it could mean.'  
  
Ginny very nearly shrieked when she felt someone slip something into her pocket but she didn't turn around and she didn't touch whatever was in her pocket yet. As quickly as it had begun his voice faded away and she got to her feet, jogging up to the library and slumping into a seat at the very back.  
  
She opened a book and propped it up on the table before her, slipping the note in her pocket into the pages so she could read it privately.  
  
... it is written that when the final six descendants of the original Six come to their powers the Final War will continue and it will be the newest Six's responsibility to destroy the descendants of the original Rebel vampires...  
  
Ginny rolled the slip of parchment up and shoved it into her robes before heading towards Griffindor Tower. She froze when she heard what sounded like icicles striking a marble floor and she broke into a run. She skidded around the corner so fast she fell to floor, but she paid no attention and scrambled to her feet at what she saw.  
  
A cloud of silver that was unmistakably a Protector's smoke shield was whirling around in the centre of the mercifully empty corridor. Ginny could just make out a dark figure spinning around in the centre of the cloud before the smoke began to clear and the figure could be seen properly.  
  
"Frankie?"  
  
Ginny gasped, dropping back down onto the floor as her friend stared back at her through the same four diagonal slits of pupils Ginny was familiar with. Her friend's hair fell smooth and paper-straight down her back and reminded Ginny for no reason of a sheet of ice. She quickly caught on that Frankie was the last of the Six to be found and was obviously the One of Ice.  
  
Getting slowly to her feet she spun around when a gasp sounded from behind her.  
  
"Whoa!"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes at Noah before grabbing his arm with one hand and Frankie's with her other in a vice-like grip and dragging them down the corridor towards the room Blue and Draco had first taken her to.  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
  
Ginny didn't even look at Frankie to know it was her that had spoken, her voice was icy cold and sharp and her skin was cold underneath Ginny's hand. Tracing the password into the wall she pulled her friends through and spun around to face Frankie.  
  
"Did you get the little pep talk from your parents on your birthday?"  
  
Frankie nodded weakly, her sensitive eyes taking in everything around her as Noah gaped at the room they had just entered. Even Frankie's mouth dropped open when she saw Blue, Draco and Juno sat on the scattered cushions chattering. One trio looked at the other before all eyes flickered to Frankie who was slowly coming out of the Change as whatever had triggered it was long gone.  
  
"Well."  
  
Juno sneered, scowling at the Griffindors who glowered back, Ginny wishing more than ever that looks could kill.  
  
"Looks like we found the last."  
  
Blue broke the tense silence and they all turned to look at him.  
  
'Way to state the obvious.'  
  
Blue shot Ginny a look and both Noah and Frankie looked at the pair of them with their mouths open.  
  
"You didn't say that out loud."  
  
Blue smirked up at the Griffindors and Ginny scowled back.  
  
'Quick on the uptake isn't he.'  
  
'He's new to it, leave him alone.'  
  
Ginny hissed reproachfully, collapsing onto the sofa and pulling her friends down besides her.  
  
"So now what? I mean we've found each other, so now what do we do?"  
  
Blue grinned at her and knelt up;  
  
"I say we come up with names for ourselves."  
  
Ginny snorted and he shot her a burning look, she stuck her tongue out at him and tugged her legs up under her.  
  
"What are you eleven years old?"  
  
He stuck two fingers up at her and she rolled her eyes.  
  
'Loser.'  
  
'Banshee.'  
  
'Blast-ended Skrewt.'  
  
'Harpy.'  
  
'Philistine.'  
  
'Quit it both of you!'  
  
Ginny stuck her bottom lip out and sat back in her seat muttering.  
  
"Names is crap, maybe we should decide exactly what we contribute to the group."  
  
Ginny looked at Juno with contempt, trying desperately to prevent her eyes rolling or her giggles escaping.  
  
Draco looked around and then shrugged he was rather enjoying the whole group thing, it was nice to have people that didn't just talk to him because of his money or his name or his good looks, of course he'd rather feed himself to a pack of ravenous Blast-Ended-Skrewts than tell anyone this, ever.  
  
"Guess I'm the brains then?"  
  
Frankie shook her head, enjoying knocking him down as much as he was enjoying winding them Griffindors up.  
  
"Nope I get to be the brains, and Noah's gonna be the brawn. Sorry."  
  
He glared at her before turning to Ginny who was blushing as he caught her watching him.  
  
"Well, erm...you could be the beauty."  
  
Juno decided that the look Draco gave Ginny that moment was much too hot for her liking and butted in before Noah could strangle Draco and Blue could physically haul his best friend away from Juno.  
  
"So, what am I then?"  
  
Noah's glance flickered down.  
  
"How about the body?"  
  
Ginny elbowed him hard in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
He grumbled, rubbing his fast bruising chest, Juno on the other hand shot him a heated look that made him flush.  
  
"I know; you could be the bitch?"  
  
Ginny snarled, stamping hard on Noah's foot and dragging him towards her on the couch out of Juno's reach. Juno gave her a filthy look.  
  
"I'll take the body I suppose."  
  
Blue edged a little towards Frankie with a hungry look in his eyes Draco found fascinating.  
  
"What about me then?"  
  
Frankie looked him up and down, her gaze lingering on his body causing him to raise an eyebrow at her.  
  
"You can be the erm... personality."  
  
She finally said, dragging her eyes upwards with unnerving slowness. Juno cleared her throat noisily and pointed at Draco who was complaining again.  
  
"I still think I should be the brains."  
  
Frankie rolled her eyes and edged ever so slightly off of the couch, her hand sneaking into Blue's behind their backs.  
  
"Well we are sorry but Frankie's the brains; it's already been sorted."  
  
Noah muttered, his eyes scanning Ginny and Draco suspiciously as Ginny edged closer to him, their eyes locked.  
  
Draco snorted;  
  
"Well it's not like you could be the beauty." He growled, his eyes challenging Noah's softly.  
  
Ginny and Juno immediately jumped to his defence for very different reasons.  
  
"Now who's being a bitch?"  
  
Draco rolled his eyes and looked at his watch before sauntering towards the door with an odd gleam in his eye.  
  
"And where are you going?"  
  
He turned to look at Ginny who was watching him suspiciously and winked at her.  
  
'I have unfinished business with a certain hot Ravenclaw fifth year, later."  
  
The door received several death glares aimed at him as he slammed it shut behind him and wandered off down the hall humming.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
A knock on the dormitory door made Ginny jump one of her friends Harry looking for Cass or someone.  
  
"Come in."  
  
She called, continuing with unpacking the three large boxes of treats her mother had sent her and Ron and trying to wrestle her newly washed school uniform onto a hanger so it would be neat for Monday. Turning around she saw Blue on her doorstep with Draco lounging arrogantly against her door frame, blatantly checking her out as she bent over her trunk to retrieve a few packets of Every Flavour Beans that were slowly sliding over the edge of her bed.  
  
"I take that back, get out."  
  
She ordered, shoving her sweets into the drawers by her bed and turning her back on him once more. She surveyed the chaos of her room happily; since the Six had now discovered each other it was Dumbledore's job since it was his ancestor's all those years ago, to make sure they were comfortable so each had been given their own room in their respective common rooms to decorate how they wished.  
  
Her walls had been painted a rich dark purple colour and a new silver-grey carpet had just been fitted. Her four-poster bed was swathed in a thick silver quilt with purple sheets and a mountain of purple and silver pillows rising up at the end. She had only just finished draping the purple netting around the top of the bed, clipping back the single see-through purple net that dropped down to the floor, leaving her bed clearly visible but shadowed when they were closed.  
  
Her huge window from floor to ceiling was flung open, causing the long silver velvet curtains to billow into the room with every slight breeze. Neither of them noticing Blue had left Draco followed her gaze and shrugged.  
  
"Nice place, almost as good as mine."  
  
Ginny narrowed her eyes and swung around to look at him.  
  
"What are you still doing here? I thought I told you both to leave so I can finish."  
  
He pushed himself up off the doorframe and wandered into the room, his hands thrust into his pockets.  
  
"Oh you did, you're not losing your mind. I just don't want to leave."  
  
Ginny shrugged off the hand he had placed on her shoulder and shuddered.  
  
"I don't know how you can be this stupid; those lessons must be real good."  
  
She snarled, taking a rapid step back as his proximity was sending her sense reeling; his scent filling her head.  
  
"I get my money's worth."  
  
He replied, his face blank. He was slowly closing the gap between them, his breath was warm on her lips and it made her heart race as her breathing quickened. His eyes were still staring into hers in amusement; darkened with desire. As his lips touched hers Ginny let him pull her closer, allowing him to play with her tongue with his own until the need for air made them pull away.  
  
He watched her meditatively and she stared boldly back up at him; she had really kissed him back and enjoyed it, but there was none of the toe- curling, bone-melting desire there was like when she was angry with him. She took a step away from him and re-applied her lip gloss.  
  
"Not bad."  
  
He stared at her in amazement before his usual cold, deadpan manner took control and he shrugged.  
  
"I've kissed better."  
  
She smiled cheekily up at his reflection in her mirror as she leant over the desk to apply another layer of lip gloss.  
  
"What's going on?'  
  
A suspicious voice made Ginny jump as she swung around to see her friends stood in the doorway looking in curiously.  
  
"Nothing! I asked this imbecile to leave but he doesn't seem to speak the Queen's English."  
  
Ginny jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Draco who held up his hands and sauntered out turning in the doorway behind them to wink at Draco who glared back.  
  
"Wow it looks great, you do realise we'll be spending all our spare time in here now, it's much more private than the normal dorm rooms."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes at Ron as he threw himself across her bed and the rest of her friends dropped down onto the scattered purple man size cushions on the floor or onto her bed.  
  
"Where's Noah?"  
  
She suddenly realised her friend was missing and her eyes swept the room again unnecessarily, he was only noticeable by his absence.  
  
"Didn't you hear? He's up in the hospital wing, that's where we've just been."  
  
Ginny didn't even bother asking why she just shook her head and crossed the room, turning around at the door to glare at Rindy and Xander who were giggling with their heads very close together on one end of her.  
  
"Don't do anything dodgy in my new room."  
  
She warned before leaving the room, waiting a few seconds then poking her head back around the doorframe;  
  
"And if I come back and there are some suspicious looking stains on my bed, Harry Potter, you and Cass are dead. That goes for you too Ronald Weasley."  
  
He shot her a shocked look as Hermione blushed and Harry and Cass immediately lay on top of each other to piss her off.  
  
The castle was nearly silent as everyone was either outside enjoying one of the last sunny days of the year or in some hidden places taking advantage of the empty school. Wandering along the corridors on her way to the Hospital Wing she felt uneasiness at the quiet atmosphere and sped up slightly, looking around her as she walked.  
  
Tugging open the doors gratefully ten minutes later she immediately saw only two of the beds occupied, one by Noah and one by Blue, both of them were shooting daggers at each other with their eyes and she had to clamp her mouth shut to keep from laughing.  
  
Ginny dropped down on the edge of Noah's bed, raising an eyebrow as he looked up at her.  
  
"So what in the name of Merlin name are you doing in here?"  
  
She asked, staring at him as he blushed but glared boldly back.  
  
"I don't seem to be too popular with the Slytherins it appears, and your boyfriend wanna-be's bum chum over there got a little bit angry with me when I was talking about how we were planning on whipping their asses at Quidditch ."  
  
Ginny's eyes flickered over to the bed across the room where Blue was sporting a bloody nose and a busted lip while the nurse bent over him, fussing with bandages and warm water.  
  
"Did you Change?"  
  
she asked, startled about what the two might have done to each other if they had, he shook his head and pointed at Blue who waved a bruised hand at her which she regarded with amusement.  
  
"And you're telling me you didn't try and hit him back at all, you just took it?"  
  
She muttered disbelievingly, turning back to Noah, trying desperately not to laugh as he looked down at his hands, resting in his lap on the crisp white sheets of the hospital bed.  
  
"Well...erm...actually I sort of...hit him first."  
  
Ginny laughed and collapsed onto the bed next to him, suddenly realising how exhausted she was.  
  
"And you find it hard to believe you're not more popular around here?"  
  
She snorted, snuggling into his chest and closing her eyes, ignoring the suspicious glares from Blue and the disapproving looks of Madam Pomphrey as she shook her head and wandered off muttering under her breath.  
  
"So how's the new room?"  
  
Ginny made a noise at the back of her throat and he took that as a positive remark before taking the hint and shutting up.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"Ughh!'  
  
Ginny cried, rolling over and falling off the bed with a loud thump and some equally loud cursing.  
  
She shook the remains of sleep out of her head and made to climb back into her bed before noticing who was also sleeping in it and leaping back as though she had been scalded.  
  
She glared at Draco as he lay on one side of the double bed, his head cradled in his arms that were folded behind his head; he eyed her with an amused look on his face, wondering if she was going to start a fight with him; he half hoped she would.  
  
'I am not sharing a bed with you.'  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her before shooting a sceptical look at the jumble of quilts on the sofa-bed where her friends had all crashed, Harry and Cass in a tangle of limbs, Xander and Rindy the same and Ron and Hermione snuggled up against each other in the corner with Mason, Noah, Blue and Frankie as far away from each other as possible so no one could accuse them of being a couple.  
  
'Why are you in here anyway? This is my room!'  
  
He rolled his eyes and pointed at the clock that read one thirty in the morning.  
  
'Do you really think I'm risking getting a detention of Filch just because you can't control yourself if you're in the same bed as me?'  
  
She snorted and shivered, the night brushing over her skin as she glared at him.  
  
'Come on; you could at least try and pretend to be a gentleman just once.'  
  
She pleaded with her mind, wrapping her arms around her and hopping up and down with the cold.  
  
'Chiveralry's dead.'  
  
He replied flatly, fighting hard not to laugh at the look on her face, Ginny sighed and shot him yet another venomous look.  
  
'Fine, but you dare make a move, and I'll rip out your lungs and make sure you can never have children, ever, understand?'  
  
He looked at her as she climbed into the bed and quoted a programme he had once seen that was remarkably like the situation they were in;  
  
"Oh look, we even have pillow talk."  
  
She scowled at him and darted under the quilts, ripping the covers up around her and curling up in them tightly, half hoping he would reach out for her but he didn't. She sighed at the exact time he did but resisted the urge to turn over and look at him.  
  
'Thinking about your Ravenclaw whore?'  
  
Her mind hissed as she edged even further away from him until she was practically balancing on the edge.  
  
'Not really, but that's a good idea, she wasn't half bad.'  
  
The bolt of jealousy that shot through her made Ginny twice as angry and she snorted.  
  
'More than can be said for you, girl's gossip remember.'  
  
He made a noise as he closed his eyes and she waited for his reply, she didn't wait long.  
  
'Do I have to tell you everyone I've satisfied to prove I'm good?'  
  
The very idea revolted Ginny and she put him off as quickly as she could.  
  
'I don't need to hear about all your conquests thank you.'  
  
He half opened one eye and turned slightly to look at the Berlin Wall of her back, her shoulders hunched to block him out.  
  
'Jealous?'  
  
She snorted and pushed his probing thoughts out of her head.  
  
'Sickened.'  
  
He rolled his eyes under his eyelids and closed his left eye again, pushing the sheets down to his waist so his bare chest could cool down.  
  
'Trust me I know how to satisfy a woman, I didn't hear any of them complaining.'  
  
Her eyes flew open but she shut them again and replied smugly;  
  
'Did any come back for more?'  
  
He contemplated that, not liking what she was hinting at but unable to stop himself from replying.  
  
'No.'  
  
She gave a half laugh half snort and he waited for her explanation.  
  
'See? Woman won't go back for seconds if its crap.'  
  
He thought about snapping back but really couldn't be bothered; he was saved the trouble anyway as Frankie's voice drifted into both their heads.  
  
'Will you two shut up?'  
  
Noah's followed immediately after and they heard the sound of the cushions and sheets moving as he rolled over.  
  
'Whatever it is it can wait till the morning can't it?'  
  
He whined before Blue joined in as well, unable to stay out of the centre of attention for long.  
  
'Yeah some of us are trying to get our full six hours of beauty sleep over here.'  
  
He shot angry thoughts to all four of them as they snorted with laughter before burrowing back under the quilts, his cursing thoughts filling all their heads. 


	9. Keys and Portals

A/N: same old stuff, I only own the characters not recognised from the books  
  
Just to note as some people got mixed up, Draco has changed to the One of Water instead of Ice, sorry for the confusion ppl.  
  
Well thanx for reviewin everyone, this is shorter than my usual chapter but it got all the stuff needed in it. Enjoy =) cheers babes xx  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Private Emotion' by Ricky Martin  
  
Chapter Nine – Keys and Portals  
  
Every endless night has a dawning day  
  
Every darkest sky has a shining ray  
  
It takes a lot to laugh as your tears go by  
  
But you can find me here 'til your tears run dry  
  
It's a private emotion that fills you tonight  
  
And the silence falls between us  
  
As the shadows steal the light  
  
And wherever you may find it  
  
Wherever it may lead  
  
Let your private emotion come to me  
  
Ginny gasped as someone grabbed her arm and wrenched her out of the flow of students heading towards the hall for dinner and pushed her into a dark corner of the corridor behind a statue that turned to eye them warily.  
  
"Err... Hagrid? What are you doing?"  
  
She asked, yanking her uniform straight and waving her friends on as they paused.  
  
"I just needed to talk to ya. Now look; obviously you know about this vampire business."  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, still completely clueless as to what his point was.  
  
"Obviously, I can't take a step in or out of this building without seeing someone looking at me like I'm crazy."  
  
She snorted, looking at him nervously.  
  
"Yes well I just need to say this to you."  
  
Ginny had never seen Hagrid so serious before and it sent an icy shiver up her spine as she watched him glance quickly around.  
  
"You must promise me that you won't go doing things that shouldn't be done, you'll hear things about the prophecy, some will be true most won't but you need to say you won't go doing something stupid."  
  
Ginny was reminded forcibly of her father warning Harry in his third year and her mouth dropped open as she stared at him.  
  
"You're joking right? Call me crazy, but running around trying to fulfil some dream a psycho decided was fate is definitely not top of my to-do list."  
  
He gave her a weak grin before remembering the speech Professor Dumbledore had given him to memorise.  
  
"Look, they'll be things... things about you future that may..." He faltered, his big hands fiddling with his belt buckle, he cleared his throat; "Things that might upset you enough to make you do something stupid to prevent it."  
  
Ginny was still staring at him as though he had grown another head.  
  
"Such as?" She prompted.  
  
"It's not my place to tell you. You'll discover it on your own when the time is ready. Just promise me that you won't put yourself in any dangerous situations that could have been avoided."  
  
Ginny was now totally confused but she knew better than to try and push him, she slowly nodded before muttering goodbye and heading to the hall where her friend's were beckoning frantically from the Griffindor table for her to hear the latest gossip.  
  
"Get this, apparently Dumbledore, your parents and McGonagall are having some meeting tonight via Floo powder."  
  
Ginny turned to watch Noah suspiciously, leaning in close to hear him over the roar of the general chatter filling the room.  
  
"What about?"  
  
His face turned from excitement to seriousness in a flash and he leaned in even closer, casting a nervous look around to check no one was listening.  
  
"You, and something about the prophecy."  
  
Ginny stared at him for a moment, completely thrown before glaring at him.  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
He flushed a little and looked down at the floor.  
  
"Well I had detention with McGonagall and I happened to have a pair of Extendable Ears left over from last year and well Dumbledore came to tell her about the meeting and they were stood outside whispering."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes as he shrugged and lowered her voice until it was only just above a whisper.  
  
"Do you know when and where?"  
  
Noah nodded and she grinned.  
  
"Good, I'm going to go have a listen."  
  
Noah made a noise in the back of his throat and glowered at her until she shrugged.  
  
"Fine, we are going to have a listen."  
  
She jumped when she felt a hand on her back and turned to look at her friends who were watching her with funny looks on their faces.  
  
"You're going no where without us."  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow and they all folded their arms, staring at her with identical stubborn expressions.  
  
"Alright fine, we'll all go. But if we get caught before I can hear anything I'll kill you all in your sleep."  
  
Rindy waved the threat away with her hand and turned back to her copy of the Daily Prophet;  
  
"Not a bad way to go, if you're asleep you won't know what's happening."  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Ginny crept along the deserted corridor, Alyssa, Noah, Frankie, Cass and Mason trailing after her as they pressed themselves as close to the wall as they could, hiding in the shadows and hardly breathing in fear. When they reached McGonagall's office Ginny froze making her five friends bang into each other and Mason slam headfirst into Noah's solid back as Ginny knelt down, pressing her ear to the corner; praying the office door had been left open.  
  
"And she really has no idea at all, Albus?"  
  
Ginny shushed Mason who was still cursing as he held a hand up to his stinging nose, his eyes watering with pain.  
  
"None to my knowledge, of course Ginerva is clever enough to figure it out eventually, but I would try to discourage this until much later on, it is a hard thing to accept."  
  
Ginny's heart seemed to stop beating as she leant closer listening hard.  
  
"Is that the reason They want her in particular?"  
  
There was tension in the voice that spoke, a voice Ginny vaguely recognised but didn't think to try and place at the moment.  
  
"Unfortunately yes; Ginerva and her Mate are the Keys; their child will open a portal that will provide the opener with an unimaginable amount of power. But there is a little known fact that The Original Rebels failed to realise correctly; only a certain member of a certain blood-line each century may activate the key and open the portal and they had the wrong descendant."  
  
Ginny's mouth was dry and her heart pounded as she took in what Professor Dumbledore was saying.  
  
"The only person that can open the portal is The First of the Original Rebel's descendent; Kendra. She is now a woman with far more powers than her ancestors ever had during their pinnacle and has the advantages of being much smarter and a lot more cunning on her side."  
  
There was a slightly muffled sound that sounded like someone shuffled in their chair before the first voice spoke again.  
  
"There is something else about Miss Weasley isn't there?"  
  
Ginny was barely breathing, leaning closer and closer while her friends leaned over her trying to hear.  
  
"Yes, there is another factor that was conveniently skipped over in the tale of her future; Ginerva will have to defeat Kendra that is already known, but once Ginerva and her Mate produce an heir, it is the child alone that can save this world."  
  
A sharp intake of breath behind her told Ginny that her friends had heard what had been said and she carefully avoided looking at them. Ginny swallowed and shot a sidelong glance at her friends who looked shell- shocked but not particularly afraid.  
  
"What must the child do?"  
  
The first voice was curious now and Ginny was revolted; this would be her child they were talking about not some freak little robot sent for a test drive.  
  
"The child must destroy the Final Ancestor or risk being destroyed."  
  
Professor Dumbledore sounded as if he was talking to himself and Ginny almost leapt out of her skin when she heard a voice next to her mutter.  
  
"Well at least someone is definitely going to get some action!"  
  
Alyssa stifled a scream as she felt a hand on her arm and instead settled for punching Rindy very hard on the arm for scaring her. Ginny shot Mason a dirty look and nudged him out of her way as she heard the voices get closer.  
  
"Professor, I really do think we need to send Weasley and her Mate into the field sooner, they will have a connection with Kendra we may find useful."  
  
Ginny stumbled back as she saw a pair of feet stood just at the corner, outside McGonagall's office. The eight of them scrambled backwards so they were somehow hidden in shadows and continued listening.  
  
"Her parents risked their lives keeping this from Ginny until they had no other choice, I don't think we should endanger her before we have to."  
  
Professor Duanemore, Ginny's Stealth and Tracking teacher, snorted;  
  
"She does it herself often enough with Potter, why not push the fates and test her?"  
  
Ginny's heart almost stopped when the professors took a step back and froze right before them.  
  
"I'm going to forget you said that Hera."  
  
Professor Dumbledore said icily before dismissing Duanemore and disappearing back into the office.  
  
"We should head back, quick." Ginny muttered to her friends who all nodded.  
  
"We better go in groups or something rather than a big bunch, if you lot head left and say you've been in the Library if you meet anyone?"  
  
She nodded as her friends grinned and darted down the corridor, looking left and right for Duanemore.  
  
"And you two can go where you like because no teacher's going to believe you haven't been up to something."  
  
Ginny told Rindy and Xander, giggling quietly and lifting her eyebrow at them when they shot each other identical smirks.  
  
"What about you?" Rindy muttered, watching Ginny curiously.  
  
"I'm gonna wander for a bit, clear my head."  
  
She forced a smile and watched them slink off down the corridor chattering loudly. She was about to stand up when she heard a voice that made her lose all control of her limbs.  
  
"Will that be all Professor?"  
  
What was Draco doing up here with Professor Dumbledore talking about her child? Ginny got shakily to her feet and backed up a bit, slamming backwards into the wall and holding her breath as Professor Duanemore swept towards her with an ugly look on her face.  
  
"Hey!" Draco caught Duanemore's attention with a rude call and she spun around.  
  
"I think I saw someone in your office just a second ago, I don't know what they were doing but they were forcing the door."  
  
Ginny could have cried in relief as Draco quickly distracted Duanemore from Ginny who would surely have given her a detention or worse. Duanemore marched off upstairs to her office leaving Draco and Ginny alone.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
She whispered awkwardly, realising it was the first good thing she'd ever seen him do for anyone other than himself.  
  
"That's OK."  
  
The sound of voices at the opposite end of the corridor made Draco quickly press Ginny back into the shadows, leaning against her so they would stay hidden. She twisted her hands into his cloak and pulled him closer; the urge to just cry onto his shoulder almost too much to bear. His face was so close to hers she could feel his breath on her face and his long hair tickling her cheeks.  
  
"Draco... I..."  
  
Before she could finish tears overtook her and she buried her face in his chest to muffle her sobs.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Blue put a hand under her chin and forced her face up so he could look into her eyes which were curiously softened.  
  
"I'm going to kill her."  
  
Ginny breathed, lowering her eyes as her tears threatened to spill over again.  
  
"Who, Ginny?"  
  
She shook her head not sure how but positive the child she would fall pregnant with eventually would be a girl, she didn't know how she knew but she did, somehow.  
  
"It's all my fault! If I wasn't this stupid key thing then she wouldn't have to die trying to save the bloody world! And I've seen how miserable that shit can make you, I practically grew up with Harry these past years and I know what it can do, I can't believe I'm going to put her through that!"  
  
Comprehension dawned in Draco's eyes and he pulled her head back onto his chest, stroking her soaked hair and whispering soft words she didn't think he'd ever even heard of into her ear.  
  
"She will love you, no matter what she will still love you."  
  
Ginny shook her head still pressed against him.  
  
"But, I'm part of this key thing..." She choked on the words but carried on; "I could do it instead."  
  
Draco shook his head, still holding her trembling body close and calming her with his heat.  
  
"No, you have to be one specific person to fulfil that kind of prophecy."  
  
She looked up at him in shock, suddenly realising how crazy she must sound.  
  
"How do you know all this?"  
  
Draco looked down at her with hardened eyes.  
  
"I knew you were special, when I first saw you Change and your clothes changed as well I knew there was something specific you had to do with the prophecy so I looked it up..."  
  
He tailed off, feeling the heat trying to creep up into his cheeks and he stared fixedly at a spot on the wall above her head as he concentrated on not flushing. She gripped his chin softly between her thumb and fingers and pulled it gently down towards her so she could look into his eyes.  
  
"You did that so I wouldn't be in danger?"  
  
Her eyes were huge now, brimming with hope, praying he actually wanted her and that her stupid future and that bitch Juno Raven hadn't ruined it all.  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
Ginny hardly dared breathe; she stayed that way looking up at him, her grip tightening on his forearms unconsciously.  
  
"Yes I did."  
  
Draco repeated, lowering his head a little, his breath catching in his throat as he looked at her. She grinned up at him, her face lighting up as she pulled his sleek head down towards her, aiming his lips at hers, keeping her eyes open for just a few seconds as she watched his flutter closed. She deepened the kiss, pressing her body against his, her nerves on fire as their tongues danced together.  
  
He pressed her harder against the wall, his warm soft hands stroking the exposed skin between her skirt and her shirt, slowly creeping upwards, tickling and caressing. He dropped his head to her neck, kissing along her jaw line and moving down, nibbling and kissing at a sensitive place just under her jaw that made her catch her breath and her heartbeat increase. Her hands were tangled in his hair as he bit into her neck, sucking slightly and running his tongue over her skin.  
  
She gripped his hair as bolts of pleasure shot from the sensitive skin he was teasing and her other hand snaked its way inside his shirt, feeling the taut muscles rippling under his skin beneath her fingers.  
  
"I hardly think the corridors are the right place for this sickening display."  
  
A cold voice sneered, making them both leap about a foot in the air and pull away from each other. Ginny looked up to see Juno staring at them, the hatred mixed with desire in her burning eyes as she watched them made her shudder and yank her shirt back into place, pull her skirt down to its normal length as it had somehow ridden up and look down at the floor.  
  
Draco straightened his own shirt and tie and flicked his hair back into place before turning to Juno.  
  
"Well unfortunately for you, we don't care what you think and I happen to be Slytherin Captain which means I have a lot more sway on the teachers here than you do, so bugger off."  
  
Juno flushed but stood her ground, jealousy bubbling up inside her as Draco turned back to Ginny with smouldering eyes.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
She spun on her heel and marched off with her fists clenched at her sides, jealous angry tears welling up in her eyes as she kicked her feet viciously at the floor, hating the whole bloody world.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
((Juno's POV))  
  
"Damn that bitch, damn her to hell!"  
  
She hissed, stomping her feet as she stormed down the corridors towards the Slytherin Common Room. She mumbled the password to the blank stretch of wall and stalked straight through the crowded common room, ignoring Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and Blue waving at her and slamming her dormitory door behind her.  
  
She threw herself down on the bed and stared moodily up at the canopy of her green four-poster, brooding on what she had just seen. Her hands clutched at the sheets angrily as the scene played over in her head and she grabbed a pillow, screaming into it until she was gasping for breath.  
  
The sound of the door opening made her glance up and she wasn't at all surprised when Blue entered the room. She sighed and sat up slowly as he dropped onto the end of the bed, his eyes on her with something similar to sympathy darkening them.  
  
"So I guess you saw them?"  
  
She scowled and nodded, crossing her legs and picking at the nail varnish chipping away from her nails.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
He looked at her haughtily and tapped a finger on his temple making her roll her eyes and nod once more.  
  
"Telepathic connection, remember. You're thoughts were pretty disturbing, and I'm kind of curious as to why you would want to be in a back alley when you do such things to him. Kind of a twisted fantasy, really."  
  
She shot him a filthy look as colour built in her cheeks and she leant over him to grab a hair-tie from her bedside table. Pulling her long hair up into a ponytail at the back of her head she stripped her jumper, ignoring Blue's appreciative looks and chucking it half-heartedly into the laundry basket in the corner.  
  
Tugging her tie over her head she dropped it onto the antique rocking chair at the end of the bed and sighed grumpily, glaring out of the window behind Blue at the dark sky, no stars visible through the thick layer of mist rising from the Forbidden Forest.  
  
She smiled slightly when he caught her arm as she moved to lean over him again for her glass of water on the table. He pulled her closer to him gently by her arm, his hand sliding up to cup her shoulder and pull her in. He slipped the shoulder of her shirt down her arm, trailing kisses along her shoulder behind it.  
  
"I can make you forget about him, for tonight."  
  
Juno smiled and let her head fall back as her eyes drifted closed, one hand deftly unbuttoning her blouse as the other traced a line up and down her bare arm, his tongue smoothing over her collar bone.  
  
"You always could."  
  
She whispered, his mouth feeling her throat vibrating as she spoke. He slipped her shirt off and tossed it over his shoulder carelessly as his hands stroked the bared flesh beneath her black bra.  
  
As one hand stroked up her spine his other delved into his pocket, flicking his wand at the curtains around the bed so they closed, another flick performed the silencing charm and he dropped his wand onto her bedside table.  
  
His lips moved from her neck to her mouth and she leaned into him, her hands helping him unbutton his shirt and pull it off. Without breaking the contact between their lips he quickly pulled down the zip at the back of her skirt and slipped it down her legs, lifting them and resting them besides him as he knelt up over her.  
  
Her socks and shoes were discarded in seconds, piled on the floor with her skirt and his school shirt. She fumbled with his belt as he moved to kiss down her neck and chest, her hands scrabbling against the leather. He gently laid her down amongst the green bed sheets and pillows in one slow move, covering her body with his. 


	10. Secrets Unveiled Part I

A/N: you know it, only own the characters not recognised  
  
The lyrics are from 'Haunted' by Evanescence  
  
This is only half of one chapter, the next half will be up next but you may have to wait for it as I'm going on holiday for a week tomorrow.  
  
In answer to your question no I don't have a beta = ( but if anyone wants to be it, its fine by me. The reason it's all mixed up is because I'm out during the day and when I type it up it's usual at about one thirty in the morning so I'm too tired to bother checking for mistakes. Basically my laziness is to blame.  
  
Guess what people, I'm already planning my next fanfic, I was gonna do it as Ron and Hermione but it seemed to fit Draco and Ginny better. This always seems to happen if you hadn't noticed, I get halfway through a fic and find a better storyline to do and I have to write down the stuff that's in my head for it and by the time I'm done I can't think what to do for my old one, but I promise I'll finish this one before I start the next one!  
  
Chapter Ten – Secrets Unveiled Part I  
  
Long lost words whisper slowly to me  
  
Still cant find what keeps me here  
  
When all this time I've been so hollow inside  
  
I know your still there  
  
Watching me wanting me  
  
I can feel you pull me down  
  
Fearing you loving you  
  
I wont let you pull me down  
  
"Remind me why we're here again, in the middle of the night, with shovels?"  
  
Ginny shushed Noah with her hands and directed her wand light higher so the small beam of light covered more of the ground.  
  
"You know why, don't tell me you didn't feel that weird feeling in Care of Magical Creatures yesterday when Hagrid brought us round here."  
  
Noah opened his mouth to reply then snapped it shut when he felt something pass by him and he shivered.  
  
'What are you doing?'  
  
Ginny jumped as though she had been electrocuted when she heard Blue's voice in her head and she punched him on the arm, her eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"Arsehole!"  
  
She hissed, glaring at him and brandishing the shovel under his nose trying and failing to look threatening.  
  
'Why are you out here in the middle of the night with shovels?'  
  
Draco's voice joined Blue's in her head and she saw a shadow glide up besides Blue, figuring it was Draco she rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip.  
  
"Well I was planning on putting the metal end in the ground, pushing it in and lifting some soil out with it."  
  
She replied acidly, talking slowly and loudly as though they were children.  
  
'Well I never would have guessed.'  
  
Draco snapped sarcastically, making Ginny glower at him before stomping off in the direction of the lake.  
  
'Why exactly are you digging the lawns up?'  
  
The three boys followed, everyone besides Ginny talking telepathically, Ginny however didn't seem to care who heard her. Not that anyone would be on the grounds at eleven thirty on a Friday night, they were all inside doing god knows what with god knows who.  
  
"Because, while we were down here for Care of Magical Creatures last lesson, I was nearly dragged into the lake by something in my head that told me what I'm looking for is nearby."  
  
Blue looked at Noah who shrugged, looking utterly miserable at the prospect of digging in the middle of the night in the freezing cold when he could have been nice and warm in his dorm room. Ginny suddenly froze, her ears twitching slightly as her eyes swept the grounds, seemingly looking for something.  
  
"Do you feel that?"  
  
The three boys exchanged a surprised look before nodding, not that she had bothered turning around to check, she already knew they could feel the presence enveloping her brain.  
  
'It's pushing us towards the lake.'  
  
Noah thought, stating the obvious but too freaked out to care. He gaped at Ginny when she pulled off her shoes, cloak, socks, top and jeans until she was clad only in her bra and shorts underwear set. She didn't even look at the boys as she headed into the water, wading out until she was submerged up to her shoulders.  
  
Draco and Blue shrugged before stripping down to their boxers and following her, Noah giving the castle a last longing look before following suit and joining them in the water.  
  
"Now what genius?"  
  
He ground out, his teeth chattering as he wrapped his arms around himself to try and keep some of his body heat in as protection against the frigid water.  
  
"Is it just me or do you lot have the sudden urge to swim right down to the bottom of the lake in the direction of the Forbidden Forest?"  
  
They all looked at Blue before turning to stare at Ginny.  
  
"If that's what we have to do, let's do it."  
  
The words had barely left her mouth before she had sucked in a long breath and flipped over into the water, her feet waving in front of their faces as she kicked her legs to take her down.  
  
The boys swiftly joined her with their wands lit but she soon found she didn't need it, her eyes could see everything under the water even if it was slightly blurred. It was a strange thing, she could see but it was rather like looking through a stained glass window, everything was tinted an odd shade of blue and green and was slightly wavy like patterned glass.  
  
All of them seemed to know exactly where they were going but it was Ginny that led the way, she had the feeling her pull was stronger than the others' for some reason and it unnerved her a little.  
  
It was impossible to tell how long they had been under the water but surprisingly none of them felt the need for air and the closer to the bottom they got the darker it became but they could still see. If they could have made any noises Ginny would have screamed when the giant squid swam sedately by nearly giving her a heart attack and causing her to thrash backwards awkwardly, directly into Draco's arms. She relaxed for a second in his embrace before pulling herself together and setting off again.  
  
About ten minutes later they approached what looked like the bottom half of a very old stone wall with a large opening at the very bottom, just about large enough for someone to crawl in. The four of them looked at each other before heading straight for it, Ginny still in the lead as they forced themselves into the hole.  
  
'What exactly are we looking for?'  
  
Ginny turned to look at Blue and shrugged, certain they were meant to be looking for something but just as certain she had no idea what it was. Blue took the hint and rolled his eyes with great difficulty before turning sharply on Draco.  
  
'I thought you were meant to be the One of bloody Water.'  
  
Draco narrowed his eyes at him.  
  
'Yeah so?'  
  
Blue jabbed him in the chest with his finger.  
  
'So, can't you do something about all this water? Just I dunno make it move or something cos I'm bored of all this swimming.'  
  
Draco shrugged and closed his eyes, the three of them watching him curiously before darting back against the walls as where they were stood emptied of water. A huge bubble that seemed to be made of a thin layer of water surrounded them and they fell down onto its floor coughing and spluttering as the water surrounded the bubble.  
  
"Bloody hell." Blue cursed, catching sight of his reflection in the bubble and trying to smooth down his hair that was now sticking up in all directions.  
  
"Nice." Ginny approved, poking Draco so his eyes flickered open and he gazed smugly at the bubble.  
  
"Yeah real good, how the hell are we supposed to move now?"  
  
Draco shot Noah a filthy look before stepping forward towards the edge of the bubble which widened to accommodate him, shortening behind him and returning to its normal size.  
  
Ginny jumped between them, preventing an oncoming argument and taking the lead once more, guiding them along the underwater passage. She could feel where to go, it was like somewhere she had once been often before and the path to it was becoming more familiar to her with every step. Not even hesitating when they came to a fork in the path she took the left one and no one questioned her.  
  
After what seemed like hours walking along various tunnels that all looked the same to the boys they finally reached a blank stone wall at the end of a particularly long tunnel.  
  
"Great going, now what?"  
  
Blue asked sarcastically, becoming steadily more annoyed and irritable at the fact that he wasn't about to get hold of a brush any time soon to tame his wild locks. Ginny ignored him and stepped up to the wall, running her hand over it for a moment before kneeling down and pressing her hand against a mark the same as the one on her skin etched onto a rock that was slightly protruding from the ground.  
  
"Original aren't they."  
  
Ginny grinned at Draco as the wall before them faded into nothing and they stepped through the opening quickly, unsure of how long the door would stay open for. Stepping inside the door slammed shut behind them, somehow stopping the water from entering the room.  
  
They found themselves in large water-tight room made of the same rough stone as the passageways with a high ceiling lost in watery shadows. The bubble disappeared from around them and the cold air hit their wet skin and made goose bumps jump up all over Ginny's body as she shivered.  
  
Her hair had come loose from its tie in the water and hung down her back dripping water at her feet as she stepped into the centre of the room where a huge pillar connected the floor and the ceiling. The boys split up and wandered the room, running their hands over the walls trying to find something that would explain the pull they had felt.  
  
Ginny ignored them and circled the pillar, her hands never leaving its surface until she found the chink in the stone she seemed to have been looking for. She raised her hand and cut into her palm, letting the blood spread over her hand before pushing it into the gap and pressing down.  
  
A bright light shot out from under fingers making her turn her head away as the boys threw their hands up in front of their faces to shield their eyes. The pillar begin moving, the top half above Ginny's now trapped hand spinning around slowly with a loud grinding noise as the bottom rotated in the opposite direction.  
  
A loud cracking noise ripped through the air as the spinning sections of the pillar ground to a halt with the long vertical indentation running its entire length perfectly straight. The same light shone from the split in the rock and Ginny yanked her hand back as the pressure keeping it in place released.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Ginny nodded as Draco put a hand on her arm and his tight grip released slightly so blood started flowing back into her numbed hand. She opened her clenched fist to glance down at what was lying in her bloody palm; it was a long chain with the Mark of the Six in delicate silver. She was about to put it on when Draco gripped her arm once more.  
  
"Don't!"  
  
She turned to stare at him and he indicated the necklace glittering in her palm;  
  
"It's glowing which means there's a spell on it."  
  
Ginny looked down at the necklace thoughtfully, her heart was telling her to put it on but her head was telling to find out what spell was on it first.  
  
"At least wait until we get back to the castle and we can do an Identification Charm on it."  
  
Ginny agreed reluctantly and wrapped the chain around her fingers so she wouldn't lose it in the water and headed back to the door. She ran her hands over it searching for a release block like the one outside but couldn't find one.  
  
"Fan-fucking-tastic, now what?"  
  
Blue snarled, banging on the wall with his foot before turning green and hopping around on one leg with it cradled in his hand.  
  
"We could Apparate."  
  
Noah suggested, shrugging and propping his arm on Ginny's wet shoulder as she watched Blue rubbing his toes.  
  
"You can't Apparate on Hogwarts grounds."  
  
Ginny turned to look at Draco curiously;  
  
"You've read Hogwarts: A History?"  
  
He shrugged defensively, ignoring Blue and Noah who were watching him with almost identical smirks on their faces.  
  
"So?"  
  
Ginny narrowed her eyes at him and huddled closer to Noah for warmth, it was getting colder than ever in the cave.  
  
"Did I say there was anything wrong with it?" She snapped before turning to Noah.  
  
"Why do you think you can Apparate, you know you can't on the grounds Hermione never stops repeating it."  
  
Noah shrugged and waved a hand at Ginny's exposed Mark and she grinned.  
  
"So, Earth boy what do you plan on doing?"  
  
Draco growled, his narrowed eyes taking in the closeness between Noah and Ginny.  
  
"It's simple, I control all nature close around me, so I just shift it slightly and it knocks all the spells out of wack for a few seconds."  
  
Ginny shrugged and turned to look at the two Slytherins, Blue looking slightly impressed and Draco still fighting to control his jealous urge to rip out Noah's spinal cord and strangle him with it.  
  
"Let's do it."  
  
Noah backed away from Ginny slightly and closed his eyes, his brow furrowing with concentration as the ceiling started to shake, depositing what must have been hundreds of years of dust on their heads.  
  
"I think we've got about three seconds."  
  
No one heard Noah speak as they disappeared into thin air with several loud cracking noises, appearing a split second later in Hogsmeade.  
  
"What the fuck are we doing here?!"  
  
Ginny hopped up and down from one foot to the other with her arms wrapped around herself as Blue and Draco turned on Noah complaining bitterly.  
  
"I told you we only had a few seconds, while we were Apparating the wards went back up so now we're as close to Hogwarts as we could get."  
  
Blue sounded as though he was being strangled as he hobbled over the rocky path leading towards the school;  
  
"Close?! It's going to take us at least an hour to get back to fucking school and if you haven't noticed we are in our goddamn bastard underwear!"  
  
Ginny would have laughed if she hadn't been busy chewing her bottom lip in half with chattering teeth.  
  
"Can we walk instead of arguing please? I really am not in the mood for catching pneumonia right now."  
  
The boys increased their pace with Ginny sandwiched in between them as they trekked up the winding path and onto the grounds, racing over to their clothes and pulling them on with fast-numbing fingers.  
  
No one spoke as they crept into the school and up towards Griffindor Tower.  
  
"Oh it's you Mr Malfoy." The fat lady said skittishly, curtseying awkwardly at them when Draco nodded at her and she swung the portrait open without asking for the password.  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
Draco shrugged and shot Ginny a sly look that made her watch him suspiciously.  
  
"My great great grandfather is in a portrait down the hall and he visits her sometimes."  
  
There was a suggestive note in his voice that made Ginny feel quite sick and she shook unwanted images out of her head.  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
He nodded and went off on an explanation of how the subjects of the paintings are still real just not flesh and blood.  
  
"Stop!" Ginny pleaded, feeling more revolted by the second as they followed her up to the top of the tower to her room. "Do you want me to be in therapy for the rest of my life?!"  
  
He chuckled and dropped down onto her bed with Noah and Blue on the floor at his feet using their wands to dry their hair and clothes. Blue snatched Ginny's brush off her bedside table gratefully and set about sorting his hair out as Ginny wandered out of the bathroom rubbing her hair with a towel in a new change of clothes.  
  
She had pulled on a short white denim skirt with shimmering black handprints on her arse and hips and a black halter-necked crop top with sleeves long sleeves attached under her armpits and; 'I Have PMS and a Wand. Do We Have A Problem?' across the front in white glitter letters, the letters occasionally dashing around before rearranging into the same sentence.  
  
"Help yourself." She muttered sarcastically at Blue who was using most of her hair products to tame his hair.  
  
She dropped onto the bed next to Draco and pulled on her high-heeled knee- high black leather boots as she examined the necklace.  
  
"Going somewhere nice?" He asked, eyeing her outfit in amusement.  
  
She shot him a dirty look before moving to put the necklace, Draco grabbed her arm before she had even lifted it to her head with his Seeker enhanced reflexes.  
  
"Hey! What did we say?"  
  
She glowered at him and tried to wrench her wrist away, only succeeding in making him grip her tighter and subtly draw her closer to him at the same time.  
  
"I didn't say anything; you're the one too afraid to take the chance." She taunted, watching his eyes narrow at her.  
  
"Fine, if it kills you, you're problem."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes and mumbled something about acting like her overreacting brothers which Draco found downright offensive.  
  
"No! This is a very bad idea."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes at Noah and proceeded to slip the chain over her head.  
  
"What's happening?" Draco asked nervously, his eyes on Ginny as she looked down at the necklace now around her neck.  
  
"It's getting warmer; I think it's got a Transporting Spell on it."  
  
Ginny just had time to grab hold of Draco's outstretched hand when the spell kicked in and the world turned upside down and began spinning.  
  
Blue turned from the empty bed to Noah who was gazing with his mouth open at where his friends had been split seconds before.  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
He didn't realise he had asked out loud until Blue answered him, his usual calm demeanour gone.  
  
"I have no idea; if they can't get back...we're fucked."  
  
The two exchanged another look before turning to stare back at the bed with nothing left to do but wait.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
The spinning ceased abruptly depositing Ginny onto a hard gravely floor with a nasty sounding crack. She sat up slowly and held a hand up to her head where a small cut was bleeding profusely into her hair, blending in with her locks and making it stick to her head.  
  
She suddenly realised Draco wasn't besides her and her hand flew out, scrabbling over the rocks reaching for him. Panic bubbled up inside her chest when she couldn't see him anywhere and she clambered to her feet so fast she nearly collapsed as the blood rushed to her head.  
  
"Draco!"  
  
She spun around and around, her eyes sweeping all over surrounding space but she couldn't see him. Eventually she slumped onto a nearby rock to take in her surroundings; she was in the middle of what seemed to be the ruins of a very large, very old building. The rock she was sat on was part of a wall in the very centre of what looked like two rooms, a stairway faded into nothing to her left behind several more half-walls and a pair of huge, rotted wooden doors lay in charred pieces to her right.  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
Ginny screamed and gripped the hand of whoever was grabbing her shoulder and she flung them over onto the floor. Seeing a flash of white-blond hair and angry grey eyes she threw herself onto the figure sprawled on the floor.  
  
"Draco!"  
  
Any other time he would have been pleased she had thrown herself onto him but right then he was pretty sure a few of his ribs were broken and she was squeezing them painfully.  
  
"Easy."  
  
He gasped, lifting her off him and raising himself up on his elbows so he could see her when she sat back looking at him. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood seeping through his shirt and he grimaced, making to get up but she pushed him back, her knees cushioning his head.  
  
"Lie still."  
  
She eased, smoothing his hair back from his face and stroking it slightly making it almost impossible for him to think straight which was hard enough as it was through the haze of pain clouding his brain. She glanced fretfully at the sweat beading his forehead as he paled at her slightest touch and she winced as he grunted in pain.  
  
'What are you doing?'  
  
He didn't seem to have the energy to speak as his voice rang out in her head and she sliced open her hand once again, re-opening the already sealed cut from earlier in the lake.  
  
"Ssh."  
  
She murmured, stroking his forehead as she lifted his blood-soaked shirt and placed her bleeding hand over the slight hole in his chest where one of his ribs had punctured through his skin. She fought down a wave of nausea and looked down into his eyes instead of the wound her hand was covering.  
  
"Vampire blood heals doesn't it?"  
  
He nodded and she smiled slightly, her face still a little green from the feel of his torn skin beneath her fingers.  
  
"Well if we mix my vampire blood with yours, it will heal faster. And since I have no idea where we are although it looks familiar, I say the quicker we get going the better."  
  
He nodded as the pain eased in his chest, he glanced down to see his skin rebuilding itself, the edges knitting together and he gave a painful laugh when he saw Ginny with her eyes closed and her mouth clamped shut in case she threw up.  
  
"It worked."  
  
She opened her eyes and removed her hand gratefully, vanishing the blood with a flick of her wand. He sat up slowly, testing the pain in his ribs and glad the remaining ache was small enough to ignore. Getting to his feet he held a hand out for her to take, pulling her to her feet and scanning their surroundings.  
  
"Where in hell are we?"  
  
He caught Ginny as she slipped, his arm shooting around her waist and steadying her as the blood loss got to her head making her dizzy.  
  
"I'm alright."  
  
She didn't say it but she was glad when he left his hand on the small of her back, the warmth of his skin seeping into hers.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Both of them spun around when a voice sliced through the air, startling them and making Ginny accidentally create a ball of fire that exploded right in front of the figure speaking to them. When the smoke cleared both Draco and Ginny gaped at the girl stood before them.  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
Ginny made a noise at the back of her throat but didn't look at Draco, her gaze fixed on the girl and it wasn't hard to see why they were stunned. The pair of them were looking at the image of Ginny, probably about the same age as she was now only this girl had pale skin only slightly darker than Draco's, a faint sprinkling of freckles on her nose and shoulders and long white-blonde hair just past her bra-strap that contrasted beautifully with her huge glittering grey almond-shaped eyes that seemed to shine in the light and change to a lighter colour.  
  
"Draco, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"  
  
She whispered, her hand unconsciously gripping his wrist as he nodded, his normal cool blank face for once open to emotion, his eyes widened and his mouth slightly open.  
  
"If you're referring to what appears to be our teenage daughter stood right in front of us then yeah, not much point in denying it."  
  
The girl stared at them through narrowed eyes, no emotion in her face or eyes but every muscle in her body was coiled beneath her skin as though she expected them to attack her at any second.  
  
"What are you staring at?"  
  
There was no denying Ginny's soft voice with underlying tones of Draco's sharp arrogance and Ginny felt her heart join her stomach at the sound of it.  
  
'Think we should tell her?'  
  
Draco made a derisive noise in the back of his throat and Ginny turned to look at him slightly.  
  
'And say what? Hi, you don't know us but we have a feeling you might be the result of one-too-many Wizard Shots and a frisky encounter some time in our future?!'  
  
For once Ginny agreed with him and she let her hand drop from his wrist, not even noticing she had left a red handprint on his pale skin where she had gripped him.  
  
"Do you know where we are?"  
  
The girl shrugged, still not moving or taking her huge dark eyes off them as she spoke, her grip tightening on the sword in her right hand.  
  
"Sure, this is what's left of Hogwarts."  
  
... 


	11. Secrets Unveiled Part II

A/N: yeah yeah usual crap, I only own people not recognisable from the books  
  
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Whose Gonna Stop the Rain?' by Anastacia  
  
Introducing my new beta; kneh13 who has agreed to bore herself to death twice by reading the chapter through first before I post it on the website, woot! So hopefully no more mix up in names etc to confuse you all my dears  
  
I promise their will be more Draco/Ginny action soon, very soon in fact, but I had to get this scene out of the way first  
  
Anyway enjoy, took ages I know but whose gonna turn down a week in the sun? keep reviewing plz peeps xx  
  
Chapter Eleven – Secrets Unveiled Part II  
  
Each day another boy and girl Sets foot into this world One reaches out to touch the sky One never learns to fly Where is it written in the stone That any child should walk alone Out on their own  
  
If no one tries to end this game Or find a way to ease this pain Tell me whose gonna stop the rain?  
  
"Come again?"  
  
The girl gave Draco a mocking look, her cold eyes scornful as she repeated herself and Ginny felt the bottom drop out of her stomach.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
The girl shrugged and dropped cautiously down so she was sat on the protruding rock ledge she had just been stood on, her eyes never leaving the two of them as they collapsed awkwardly onto the rocky floor.  
  
"My father tried to change the prophecy. He tried to take my place against Kendra and it backfired, badly."  
  
Ginny winced and Draco dropped a hand onto her ankle besides him, steadying her as she smiled weakly at him.  
  
"I told you trying to change it would be a bad idea."  
  
Draco hissed, gasping when Ginny elbowed his still sore ribs.  
  
"Oh shut up."  
  
Ginny quickly turned back to the girl who was watching the interaction curiously, almost longingly and Ginny felt a morbid curiosity take over her.  
  
"What happened to your parents?"  
  
Raw pain dripped into her eyes as the girl turned away from them, her face a mask of granite.  
  
"They were both killed by Kendra."  
  
Ginny's heart was leaping against her ribcage as Draco's grip tightened on her ankle, but otherwise he didn't falter at all despite the girl predicting their deaths right in front of them.  
  
"Why is Hogwarts like this, though?"  
  
The girl studied Ginny in silence for a minute, her piercing eyes so like Draco's watching her in that appraising way he did so often lately. She grabbed the end of her hair and twisted it around and up, securing it with bobble from around her wrist and brushing stray strands out of her eyes.  
  
"In the battle."  
  
Ginny and Draco looked at each other and sat up a little straighter as they listened, Ginny shivering slightly as a breeze ruffled her hair and chilled her bare skin. Draco lifted his arm from her ankle and wrapped it around her shoulders and she leaned in against him gratefully.  
  
"After my mother was killed by Kendra to stop her fulfilling the prophecy, the descendants of the original Side of Good joined together against Kendra in a huge battle that lasted weeks. In the middle of it Hogwarts was destroyed, luckily most people were out at the time for break but whoever was left inside was killed instantly."  
  
Tears clogged Ginny's eyes as she squeezed them shut in horror, Draco's grip on her arm tightening unbearably and his small silver ring, made of an incredibly rare metal only found in a small wizarding village across the world, embossed with a green snake coiling around a black wand glittered as he pushed his shaking hand through his hair.  
  
'Is this what we were brought here to hear?'  
  
Ginny's trembling voice rippled through his hand as her hand slipped into his, neither of them looking at the girl as she got to her feet and crept away without making a sound. Before Draco could answer the world tipped upside down once more and she was thrown into his arms.  
  
Opening her eyes gingerly she found Draco smirking up at her and she blushed before scrambling to her feet and staring round at the Golden Trio and the other Four who were all gaping at them.  
  
"Where in hell have you been?!"  
  
Ron thundered his face practically purple with rage as Harry kept a tight hold on the back of his pyjama top just in case.  
  
"Out."  
  
Ginny replied numbly, wandering into the bathroom and summoning Butterbeers for them all as she went.  
  
"Out!"  
  
Ron repeated, a murderous scowl creasing his face as he glared from Ginny to Draco who was slouched over her bed looking way too at home for Ron's liking.  
  
"What were you doing out with him?"  
  
Ron snarled, pointing rudely at Draco who scowled back, wondering if one day Ron would drop dead from a heart attack from all this overprotective nonsense.  
  
"What? You mean besides the wild passionate animal sex on a table-top?"  
  
Ron's Butterbeer hit the floor with a loud crash as Draco smirked into his own bottle and the entire room turned to stare at Ginny with open mouths.  
  
"I'm kidding."  
  
A collective sigh filled the room as Ginny took a sip of her drink and flicked through her timetable and bag checking she had the right books for the morning.  
  
"I'm kidding; the table wouldn't support us so we tried out the floor instead."  
  
Laughter rang out through the room after Ginny's departing back and Harry slapped a choking Ron between the shoulder blades.  
  
"She's just joking, Ron."  
  
Noah sidled out of the room after Ginny and caught up with her in the Common Room, she was gazing into the fire with staring eyes and her legs were tucked underneath her. She was twisting a lock of hair around her fingers which she only did when she was deep in thought about something not particularly nice.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
She nodded without looking at him and he sat on the edge of her chair and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against him as tears stole down her deathly pale cheeks.  
  
She told him everything that had happened after Draco and herself had left and he didn't speak at all until she had finished, his eyes were trained on her and she knew what was coming; it was no use he knew her too well.  
  
"That's not what you're upset about, well it is but there's something else as well."  
  
Ginny nodded once more and turned to look up at him with pleading eyes, confusion darkening them.  
  
"I'm falling for Draco."  
  
Noah sighed and turned to stare into the fire, he'd known it was coming since that first kiss and he wasn't at all surprised.  
  
"What are you going to do about it?"  
  
Ginny shrugged helplessly and looked down at the floor, her emotions battling within her and causing a blinding heading to pulse behind her eyes.  
  
"Not much I can do."  
  
Ginny stiffened as Hermione plopped herself down into a seat opposite them and grinned sunnily at the two of them.  
  
"Malfoy and that Juno girl seem to be getting on awfully well."  
  
Anger bubbled up inside Ginny and met the searing jealousy going the other way.  
  
"Whatever, I'm going to bed."  
  
She bent down and kissed Noah on the cheek as she got to her feet and stalked off, Hermione staring after her in shocked silence before turning questioningly to Noah.  
  
"What on Earth is wrong with her?"  
  
Noah quickly got to his feet and glared down at her coldly, his head filled with the despairing look in his best friend's eyes as she had kissed him goodnight and he directed his anger, not entirely unfairly, at Hermione.  
  
"You know, you may be the smartest witch of our time, but you don't know fuck all when it comes to your friends."  
  
Leaving a stunned Hermione gaping after him he marched off with his fists clenched at his sides.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Juno jumped when she heard footsteps on the stairs and she turned slightly away from the window.  
  
"Oh its you."  
  
Noah raised an eyebrow at her as she turned back to look out of the window away from him before wandering over to her and dropping down onto the window seat opposite her. He jumped when he felt a strange drumming in his stomach as her bare arm brushed against his and from her sharp intake of breath he was guessing she had felt it too.  
  
"So, you and Blue?"  
  
She shrugged and kept her gaze fixedly on the distant rolling hills and the tiny pinpricks of light from the fireflies fluttering around in the woods.  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
He kept his gaze on her, watching her as she refused to look at him, his heart leaping against his ribs at every tiny contact they were forced to make on the small window seat.  
  
"Think you're Mates?"  
  
She shook her head making her long hair arc around her and brush against his cheek. He looked at her curiously; well aware that this was the first time he had ever seen her with her defences down and a little unnerved at the drastic change from the bitch he was used to dealing with to the vulnerable girl she was now.  
  
"Why?"  
  
This time she turned to look at him and his heart froze in his chest when her eyes met his, a fire burning in his stomach and his groin and his breathing quickened.  
  
"We've been sleeping together for years, just as a release basically. If we feel the need to we do."  
  
Noah raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue as she paused, turning back to the window for a second.  
  
"Go on."  
  
She sighed and turned back to him, once again feeling that diving sensation sweeping over her as he shifted slightly and his hand brushed her ankle.  
  
"Well it's always been the same, and when you sleep with your Mate you seal the fact that you're together forever and it's a lot more… shall we say explosive."  
  
Noah followed her gaze out of the window, aware she was watching him as he did so but not feeling the need to mention it.  
  
"So what about Draco and Ginny, they hadn't slept together and they still got the physical pain part when you jumped on him."  
  
Juno glared at him before sighing and nodding, once more fixing her gaze on the view.  
  
"Well its different for them isn't it? They have this prophecy thing to fulfil so they don't have a choice about being Mates, for the rest of us, until we sleep with our Mate we can avoid it."  
  
Noah blushed as she stared at him from under her sooty lashes mockingly, his eyes drifting to her lips as she ran a tongue over them to moisten them. He gulped and shifted nervously as a cool breeze sent her scent drifting over him, filling his head and making rational thoughts leave his head instantly.  
  
"Well if you and Blue aren't Mates but Draco and Ginny are, then that means…"  
  
Her gaze didn't shift as he tailed off, his cheeks flushing even darker as she stretched, hollowing her stomach just under his chest and leaning into him.  
  
"Only one way to find out."  
  
Her whisper tickled his ear as she leaned forwards, her hair sweeping over him and forming a curtain that shielded them from the room as she touched her lips to his. Sparks shot from the contact and his eyes flickered shut at the sensations tumbling around inside him.  
  
She fell into his lap and his arm circled her legs, pulling them over his as his other hand raked through her long veil of hair. Her hands circled his shoulders, her long nails digging into his back as his hand crept up her smooth brown leg, pinching and massaging its way up her skirt.  
  
"Come on."  
  
She said hoarsely, climbing up and dragging him out of the room and down the corridor, fortunately not meeting anyone as they stopped every few paces to continue their heavy making out. By the time they reached her room their breathing was heavily laboured and they were both trembling in anticipation, Juno's hand slipping on the door handle with sweat as she finally banged it open.  
  
Slamming the door and darting back into his embrace, Noah moved slightly so they both tumbled onto the bed and she laughed, pulling him on top of her, wriggling underneath him as their lips connected again.  
  
"Am I squashing you?" He asked, leaning up so he could see her face.  
  
"Not enough." She mumbled into his mouth, her hands expertly stripping his shirt and running over his already sweating body.  
  
Spinning them over so she was on top of him she reached over and plucked a jar of scented body oil from her top drawer and gazed down at him seductively.  
  
"Kinky."  
  
Laughing he once again rolled her over and stripped her clothes, dropping them unceremoniously onto the floor, quickly followed by his jeans and boxers. He tipped some of the oil into his hands set about rubbing it into every inch of her creamy white skin, purposely avoiding the most intimate part of the massage until much later when Juno was already on the brink from his caresses.  
  
Grinning up at him she flipped him over, kissing his lips once more before rubbing her body into his, the oil spreading all over his body until they were sliding around all over the place because of it.  
  
Eventually she straddled him and he felt the electric sparks every touch between them had produced double to lightening bolts, their oiled skin seeming to crackle with electricity as they moved together.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"Well."  
  
Juno looked up from where she was laying, her eyes meeting his as he stroked her back softly, their breathing levelling out slowly.  
  
"Well." She repeated mockingly, she herself was shocked by the intensity of what they had just shared and it had shook Noah to the core since he didn't have much experience in that department anyway.  
  
"Was that just exceptionally good or do you think we're Mates?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him and nodded, laying her head back on his sweaty chest and staring out of the window at the moon drifting lazily past.  
  
"Well if that doesn't mean we're Mates, I can't wait to see what happens when I do find my Mate."  
  
He rolled his eyes looked down at her as she closed her eyes, the moonlight turning her skin to polished ivory and her hair to silver. Her face was softened in the light and his heart seemed to swell, if someone had told him that by the end of the day he would have slept with Juno Raven he would have given them a slap and told them not to make stupid jokes, now it seemed to just be the right thing, the most natural thing in the world. 


	12. If Tonight Is All We Have

A/N: same old stuff I only own characters unfamiliar from the books

The lyrics at the beginning are from 'I Ask of You' by Anastacia

Thanx for the reviews ppl, cheers for my beta, kneh13, for telling me to add a sex scene for draco and ginny as I was just gonna leave it after draco's quote. Anyway enjoy and keep reviewin! Cheers babes =) xx

Chapter Twelve – If Tonight Is All We Have

I ask of you, would you love me, if nothing else went right?  
And I ask of you, would you hold me, forever in your life?  
And don't let me fall, 'cause I can only give my all  
Here I am  
I ask of you

Yawning Ginny rolled over and fell out of bed, landing in a heap with her bedclothes over her head. She got unsteadily to her feet and shoved her sheets back onto the bed, hobbling into the bathroom and diving into the shower to wake herself up.

"Ginny! You take forever get out here now!" Frankie bellowed, pounding on the bathroom door furiously before sinking into the chair to the side once again.

Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled open the door, looking absolutely stunning and seeming to shimmer with an inner glow.

"Finally! Cass NO!"

Ginny snorted with laughter as Cass darted past her and slammed the bathroom door in an apoplectic Frankie's face. Wandering over to her still unmade bed Ginny collapsed onto it next to Noah who was looking very smug about something in a pair of baggy black pants, a black t-shirt with 'Spoilt Bastard' across the front in silver and two identical black sweatbands at his wrists.

"Morning."

Ginny grunted and stretched, kissing Noah on the cheek and pulling on her clumpy black boots with the silver studs along the bottom. Eying her curiously Noah decided she was looking very sexy in an outfit any other girl would look kind of odd in.

Today she was clad in black three-quarter length trousers with various silver chains crisscrossing along the front and back that met her purple and black horizontally striped knee-high socks head-on. Her black sleeveless t-shirt had 'In Need of Therapy' sprawled across its front in purple writing and her black netted gloves that joined between her thumb and the rest of her fingers stretched up to halfway up her upper arm.

Noticing the studded black cuff on her right wrist and the black leather glove with the fingers cut out on her left hand Noah rolled his eyes; he wondered where they had disappeared to. As she chattered vaguely to her friends slowly pulling on their clothes she circled her eyes in black eyeliner, added some black lipstick and mussed up her hair.

"Can I just say, this rule of optional-uniform after fifth year is an excellent idea." Alyssa said, tugging a turquoise polo-neck jumper over her head and wriggling into a pair of black jeans.

"You may and you're damn right it is." Cass said happily, tucking her flared-sleeved blouse into her tight black leather trousers and tightening the thick black belt holding them up with a pair of big silver lips as the buckle. She fluffed out her hair and adjusted the golden locket Harry had bought her for her birthday the week before.

"Did you see Flitwick's face when Juno Raven turned up for Charms in that leather mini-skirt; he nearly had a heart failure."

Frankie giggled, ignoring the look Ginny shot her and slipping on a pair of baggy faded jeans with rips at the knees and a sleeveless black t-shirt with safety pins scattered over its front.

"Come on, we're gonna be late."

The four girls followed Noah out of the room and into the Common Room where the Golden Trio met them, Ron eyeing Ginny's outfit with a disapproving frown on his face.

"Bugger off, Ron." Ginny said before he could say anything.

Hermione stamped on Ron's foot as he opened his mouth furiously and he glowered at her before marching off with Harry, Mason and Neville. Ginny raised an eyebrow as Rindy and Xander emerged from a corner smirking and straightening their clothes before turning to Hermione.

"I noticed you took my advice."

Hermione shrugged and looked down at her clothes as though checking they were still there. She was clad in a tight black lace top with several rips all over the place and a pair of fluorescent pink flares that swept the floor over her high-heeled boots.

"You look good Hermione." Noah called back, earning a death glare from Ron who bustled over and wrapped an arm around his girl friend's waist.

"Noah!"

Entering the Great Hall Ginny spun around to see Juno beckoning to a frantically blushing Noah who kissed her temple and darted off to join her. Ginny quirked her eyebrow at Frankie when Juno winced at the kiss and frowned, well that was unexpected; Frankie however looked ecstatic and rapidly followed Noah's progress across the hall towards Blue. Sighing Ginny followed them and dropped into a seat opposite Draco, ignoring his smirk as she piled her plate with food and watched Juno and Noah curiously.

The pair of them were so comfortable with each other they looked like an old married couple and the image unnerved her, forty-eight hours ago they had been enemies. And then there was Frankie and Blue who were getting very intense, their faces inches apart as they chattered away.

The room fell silent when the doors burst open and thousands of hooded black figures swept in, waving their wands the room found themselves bound in metal ropes all except the Six.

Ginny leapt to her feet in horror and stared at the figure closest to her, in fact she was walking towards her. She had long black hair and huge black eyes that were cold and empty, staring into them Ginny felt a sharp pain sear through her Mark and she wobbled, leaning gratefully against Draco as he steadied her.

"You."

The girl before her pointed at Ginny and the pain doubled, she briefly felt Draco's grip ripped from her arm before the pain became too much and darkness engulfed her.

-=-=-=-=-=-

She vaguely saw images in the back of her head that she was sure weren't in the same place she was and it pressed against her aching eyes.

"Go to them, show her your clans' resistance, prove to her we will not give in as she so eloquently put it once before."

A woman raised her eyes to meet Professor Dumbledore's.

"And Ginny?"

Dumbledore's eyes met the woman's and he shook his head gravely.

"This she needs to do alone."

The images vanished and Ginny awoke to a searing pain in her wrists and a harsh light shining directly into her eyes; almost blinding her when her eyelids flickered open. She blinked wildly for a few seconds until her eyes adjusted and she glanced up to see a rope made of some kind of metal binding her hands together which was what had caused the pain.

Looking down at her feet she saw that where she should have been slumped on a cold damp floor, she was in fact dangling just above it; the rope tying her hands together hooked onto a large metal hook that was screwed into the long thin pole running from one wall to the other. A stinging pain made her wince and she glanced downwards at the large puddle just to her left to see an angry red weal across her left cheek, slowly dripping blood into the pool of murky water.

There was a loud squeak and then a swinging thud as though a heavy door had been opened before her and she yanked her head upwards to see three figures enter, the one leading the other two circling around behind her and fiddling with something. The blast of icy air that crept in behind the figures washed over Ginny and she suddenly noticed the absence of her cloak; it was dumped in a pile to her right.

She shivered and looked down, realising that her t-shirt had been sliced open above her navel and just below her collar-bone, leaving the little silver gem in her belly button and her mother's golden necklace glittering in the light. Her pants had also been ripped as though someone with claws had slashed at her and she had several shallow cuts along her legs.

She raised her head as she heard a slight thump and she leaned around as far as she could trying to locate the sound.

"Don't strain yourself looking; I'm here."

A tall dark figure stepped into her line of sight; Kendra. Her long black hair was slicked back from her face leaving her pale features clearly visible; her huge black eyes dominating her face. A cruel grin spread across her face as she took in Ginny's surprise, she spread her arms wide, the sleeves of her long black dress billowing out around her making her look like a giant bat.

"Did you miss me?"

She let out a cackle of laughter and Ginny shuddered at the hint of insane pleasure in the sound as it reverberated throughout the huge empty room. Kendra caught the shudder and her face fell, shuttered, her eyes blank and angry; she clicked her fingers and the two vampires flanking the heavy metal door to Ginny's right pulled it open and dragged in a figure swathed in a black cloak with gold and red lining.

"Cohen."

Ginny gasped, tears springing to her eyes as her friend from the year below her whimpered, crouching on the floor; she knew he wasn't really afraid, she could see it in his eyes; he was just playing along, knowing that if she thought him too afraid to try anything Kendra would leave him unshackled.

Several loud cracks resounded around the room and Ginny flinched. Looking up she saw a number of tall people wrapped in robes of various colours standing before her with their backs to her.

"You."

Kendra hissed, narrowing her eyes at the newcomers.

"Us."

A tall woman with very pale skin, huge dark eyes and a long red robe that swept the floor replied in obvious distaste.

"So... you dare to defy me so blatantly?"

The woman nodded, staring insolently back up at Kendra.

"You will no more! Your covens will join me as they did our ancestors years ago."

The statement was simple and Cohen and Ginny held their breath, despite their own predicaments.

"Never."

The tall woman hissed, not backing down even as Kendra's eyes narrowed to mere slits.

"We won't.

"Not a chance."

"I refuse."

Statements such as these filled the room as each of the newcomers stood their ground against her.

"Then you and your covens will die."

Not a sound disrupted the uneasy silence that poured through the room as the woman at the front took a step towards Kendra.

"You want a war? You got it."

She snarled before disappearing with the same loud cracking noise she had appeared with, the others following suit almost immediately after. Kendra smoothed back her hair before knocking Cohen down who had been struggling to his feet. Ginny cringed as though it was she who had received the blow.

Cohen's eyes met hers; huge blue orbs filled with courage meeting widened chocolate-brown eyes brimming with tears.

"_Don't be afraid, I know she's going to kill me and I accept it. Just please try and get yourself out of here alive! You're too important to die here and now, there is so much left for you to do. You have to live_!"

Ginny realised he was talking to her through telepathy and she didn't blink; knowing that eye-contact was essential. She nodded at him, inclining her head barely a few millimetres in acknowledgement.

"You know, I don't particularly like killing. There aren't that many people I have or probably will kill that I really wanted to die; I was forced into it."

Kendra's voice snapped Ginny from the depths of Cohen's mind and she raised her eyes incredulously to look up at Kendra; she was chatting to her as though they were two old friends sat before a fire in the comfortable Griffindor common room chatting about boys, Quidditch and makeup.

"It's true!"

Kendra cried defensively, pulling out an intricately carved knife with a black handle lined in silver and advancing on Cohen. His eyes flickered from the knife to Kendra to Ginny, the acceptance in his eyes making Ginny's tears spill over her cheeks as she struggled against the bonds that held her, praying she would Change but knowing she was too weak.

Kendra let out a gleeful shriek and plunged the knife into Cohen's mid-drift, blood pouring out of the wound as he clapped his hands over it, dark red blood dribbling over his fingers and dying his hands red. He slumped on the floor and Ginny screamed.

"NO!"

Kendra turned to look at her, calmly wiping the knife's bloody blade on a minion's robes.

"You spineless murderer! You know why you kill people, Kendra? Because you choose to it's no one else but you!"

Kendra flinched and took a step towards Ginny, brandishing the knife before her.

"SHUT UP! It's not true!"

But Ginny was past caring now, the hatred in her eyes burned into Kendra like fire.

"Why don't you take some goddamn responsibility for what you've done to innocent people?!"

Ginny's yell overlapped Kendra's wild shrieks as she clasped her hands over her ears.

"NO!"

She let out a yell and tossed the knife at Ginny who ducked making the knife fly over her head and straight into the little black power box behind her she had noticed when they first dragged her in. The lights were immediately extinguished and all hell broke loose, Kendra screaming for more minions to help her find Ginny while she searched the floor frantically for her knife.

Ginny used all the strength she could gather to bring her legs up, wrapping them around the pole as the ropes around her hands were released from the hook. She hung for a moment, suspended above the chaos beneath her; odd that she could see almost as clearly in the dark as in the light.

She shook the thought away and attempted an awkward back flip off of the pole, forcing her to land clumsily on the cold stone floor, the damp seeping into her clothes as she scrambled over to where she hoped the wall was. She scrabbled frantically along the wall for the power box, praying as hard as she could she was nearby it. Finally her hands landed on it, sending a small electric shock up her arm as she yanked the knife out, quickly sawing at her ropes until she was free, all the time her eyes darting around for any sign of Kendra, her minions or her wand.

"Professor... we need to get her out of there..."

Noah trailed off, tears clouding his eyes as the entire school sat stunned in their seats, staring with varying degrees of emotions at the huge screen where the scene with Ginny was playing out before them. The microscopic magic Tailor, very similar to a Muggle camera and Dumbledore's own invention that he had charmed to followed Ginny at all times picking up everything that was happening and relaying it back to the horrified room.

Alyssa gave a sob and Mason put an awkward arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him so her head nestled on his shoulder, her sobs muffled against his chest as she clutched at his clothes.

"Professor, is there no way to open the Portal back at all?"

Frankie pleaded desperately, her huge eyes filling with tears.

"I'm afraid the only way to open the portal is for Ginny to do it herself, only she has the power..."

Professor Dumbledore trailed off, staring around the silent Hall where the entire school were huddled together, shell-shocked, some in tears others too horrified to speak. Draco didn't move when a nearby Hermione gripped his arm in horror, her head nestled sobbing in Ron's shoulder as Harry patted her awkwardly on the back and Ron gaped at the screen.

Draco was too busy trying desperately to contact Ginny through telepathy, praying she could hear him as he told her to open the portal back to notice anything besides what was happening on the screen.

Ginny shook her head as she heard Draco's voice in her mind, impossible; they were too far away from each other for the mind-link to be strong enough to communicate that way. She listened carefully, noting everything he said in her mind before darting forwards across the floor to where Cohen was still laying, his blood seeping steadily across the floor.

She grasped his cooling arm and hauled him closer to her, his blood covering her as she strained every molecule inside her trying to open the portal, it didn't seem to be working and she dropped her head onto Cohen's blood darkened chest, smearing his blood over her face, crying helplessly, muttering over and over again how sorry she was that she wasn't strong enough. She felt his heart still beating slightly and she became frantic; she had to get him help right now or he would die there in her arms.

Suddenly she felt a burst of energy streak through her, pure fire burning inside her and she threw her head up with a scream. Her eyes turned black and roaring red and her tears dried immediately on her face from the white hot heat her eyes were giving off. A jagged black line ripped through the air in front of her, flashing down until it met the floor with an almighty crack that shook the entire room as the floor fractured from the impact.

Ginny's vision cleared as her eyes returned to their normal colour and she stared at the opening in amazement; through the hole she could see Hogwarts, she could see the Hall filled with staring students. She barely had time to acknowledge the fact that she had opened a portal not even Professor Dumbledore could have summoned before strong hands were pulling her through the hole, her hands still firmly clasped around Cohen.

The Hall let out a collective gasp as Ginny and Cohen collapsed onto the floor of the Hall before the crowd. Ginny peered up into the concerned faces of her professors and friends.

"Cohen..."

The word was barely more than a whisper but they seemed to hear her. She refused to release her grip on him however and the world suddenly grew dark again as she blacked out once more.

"Professor?"

Rindy was staring from her friend's stricken face to Cohen to Professor Dumbledore who was gazing down on the pair, his face impassive. Draco knelt down silently besides Ginny, the whole Hall watching wordlessly as he gently untangled her fingers from Cohen's clothes and scooped her up, much as a groom carries his new bride over the threshold for the first time and headed through the crowds. The students and teachers parted silently as he wove a path through them towards the hospital wing with Cohen being levitated by Professor Flitwick right behind him.

-=-=-=-=-

"I want to take her home."

A voice pierced through the mist surrounding Ginny's head and eyes and she groaned groggily, trying to turn over to tell whoever it was shouting to shut the hell up.

"The Mansion is surrounded by spells, charms, creatures and protective devices very few people can get past. Please just for a few days until she's healed and then we'll come straight back. It's the Christmas holidays in three days for god's sake!"

A sigh sounded and Ginny peered through the clearing fog at Draco's muscular back and Dumbledore's weary posture.

"What's going on?" She croaked, making them spin around and Draco stalk over to her.

"I'm taking you home with me for a few days until this shit is sorted."

He glared at Dumbledore who nodded and crossed the room to the fireplace, tossing in some Floo Powder and commencing a conversation with Narcissa Malfoy's head now nestling in the fire.

"Are you alright?"

Ginny turned to smile weakly at the Golden Trio, Hermione's tearstained face only slightly less pale than an ashen Ron whose freckles looked like dots of blood on snow and whose hand was busy breaking Hermione's as he gripped it, frantic with worry.

"Yes."

Harry grinned at her, indicating a sleeping Cass sat on his lap with her head on shoulder and she nodded vaguely, watching as he lifted his girlfriend and carried her out of the room.

"Ginny, time to go."

Ginny screamed as the spinning stopped and she landed spread-eagled on top of Draco on a black marble floor. Sitting up she found herself straddling Draco and a lightening bolt of desire shot through her, making her scramble to her feet blushing and turn to look around to avoid his laughing eyes.

"Where are we?"

The room they were standing in was entirely black and silver; the floor was black marble, the pillars running from one end to the other and forming three separate pathways down the room were silver marble with black flecks and the walls were a dull smooth black with silver snakes entwining each other from floor to ceiling engraved into it at varying intervals.

Turning around she saw a pair of vast ebony doors, three times the size of a normal door, thrown open to reveal sweeping lawns ending in a glittering lake, the water smooth, black and forbidding. Catching sight of a large crest the same as on Draco's ring etched into the doors she turned to look at Draco who was watching her curiously and she glared at him.

"This is your house isn't it?"

He nodded and headed off up the sweeping black marble stairs, Ginny followed with huge eyes, her head swivelling in all directions as she took in the priceless artefacts scattered tastefully around the mansion which was decorated much the same as the first room had been.

Pushing open a dark ebony door with an arching top Ginny entered a room straight out of her fantasies. The huge green double bed that dominated the room was swathed in black and silver pillows, the soft bedspread made of long wide emerald and white stripes flowed down to the thick white carpet which cushioned her feet as she stood gaping in the doorway.

Spinning around she noticed an original Picasso on the black wall and a set of ivory ornaments worth at least 500,000 galleons spread out along the spiralling shelves on the wall opposite the bed.

"There's a shower through that door, I'll go get us some hot chocolate."

Ginny nodded, her hand running over the top of the bed as she headed towards the adjoining bathroom, stripping her clothes and stepping gratefully under the pounding gush of water.

The bathroom was full of steam when she left it and she nearly leapt out of the small black towel covering her when she saw Draco sat on her bed flicking through a book and sipping his hot chocolate as he waited.

"I would have got you some clothes but there is none your size so you may have to make do with these."

He handed her a long black shirt with bright green lining and a silver serpent across the front and twining into a number one on the back beneath the word 'Malfoy' and a pair of green boxer shorts.

"I swear they're clean." Draco said as she raised an eyebrow at him, although he looked down at the floor shiftily as she made to pull them on.

Pausing she turned around before shedding her towel and slipping into the clothes, grinning at him before accepting the steaming mug he was handing her, his eyes darkened and smouldering with lust.

"I better go and owl the school and talk to my mom about us staying. God knows how I'm gonna explain what happened like but oh well."

Ginny laughed and smiled at him, leaning towards him slightly as he lowered his hands to hers and looked down on her.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded; looking like a little girl in the too-big clothes, with her hair in bunches and her cheeks still flushed from the shower. He pressed his lips to her forehead briefly before ripping himself away and practically running out of the room.

Sitting cross-legged on the narrow top of the balcony rail with her mug cupped in her hands, it didn't occur to her that if she overbalanced slightly she would be dead within seconds on the stony courtyard below.

She felt rather than heard him step onto the balcony and she didn't turn around to check it was him.

"Can I join you?"

Even if she'd said no he would have anyway so she nodded, tiny locks of hair escaping the two bunches on either side of her face and drifting into her eyes. Her face was slightly in shadows but he knew she was aware of his every move.

"I can't really stop you; it's your house."

He smirked and wandered over, perching opposite her, watching curiously as she leaned back against the wall behind her so her entire face was hidden in its shadow. She sighed and he lay a hand on top of hers, aware she was terrified over what the prophecy was going to force her to do and hating himself more than ever that he didn't know how to comfort her; the Malfoy's were not a touchy-feely family.

"Aren't you scared?"

He looked at her meditatively before shrugging and following her gaze out over the sweeping lawns of his land.

"Malfoy's don't get scared."

He said flatly, not looking at her but perfectly aware she was studying him as intently as he was avoiding looking back at her, her hand twisting in his until their fingers entwined. Without thinking about what she was doing she leaned in towards him, catching his lips in a tentative kiss, his lips crushing hers as pressed against her and his tongue darting over hers with flickering expertise that sent shockwaves shuddering delightfully through her body. She dropped her mug into a shrub below her as her hand went slack and crept up his neck.

Somehow the pair of them ended up on Ginny's bed and Draco was amazed how nervous he was, his hands were fumbling with his belt as her hands scrabbled at the buttons on his shirt. Suddenly she pulled back and ducked against the pillows, pulling her legs up to her chin and staring at the floor with huge eyes.

"Did I hurt you?"

Ginny shook her head and he edged closer to her, pulling the bobbles out of her hair gently so it tumbled over her shoulders in a wave and he massaged her trembling arm with gentle fingers, his eyes drawing hers towards them.

"If we do this..." She faltered.

He saw her bottom lip shaking and his heart sank past his knees as she went on.

"If we do this its forever, we can't go back after this."

He turned slightly so he was looking at the intricately carved silver headboard behind her, his hands still caressing her bare skin lightly.

"You know I saw something once, I don't remember where it was but it seems to fit the situation."

He cleared his throat and Ginny stared at him curiously, a pulse flickering between her legs at his continued caresses.

"– If tonight is all we have, then stay so I can engrave it on my heart – "

His soft voice filled her head and she felt the pull of her desire dragging her under, his lips touched hers once more and she was lost.

He moved his hands down carefully, removing her clothing and caressing her, moving on to kissing all the places his fingers had touched her. Once she was naked he peeled off his own clothes and lay down next to her, he ran his hands over every inch of her, all the time making sure she was watching him as he took in the effect he was having on her.

His fingers trailing slowly and tantalizingly down her body and back up to her small freckled breasts, kissing all over them as she sighed and groaned again and again.

"I intend to kiss every freckle."

He informed her, his pale head lowering as he gave her breast little puppy licks that made her gasp and wriggle seductively, he grabbed her arms and gently held her in place as he resumed his task, nuzzling her skin and kissing, often biting, his way down.

"You'll be there a long time." She sighed, squirming against his hot lips.

He grunted and trailed his fingers over her abdomen and down across her thighs, her eyes fluttering closed at the exquisite sensations crashing around inside her. He bruised her lips with his and she pulled him towards her, her hand disappearing between them as he groaned into her mouth.

He opened his eyes to look at her, waiting for her own to open but she was too lost in the sensations they were giving each other, he reached out to her but she was already moving down the bed, her eyes meeting his as she teased him until he couldn't stand it anymore.

He grabbed her and rolled over on top of her, nudging her legs open with his and raising himself up on one elbow so he could watch her. Her eye were huge and darkened with lust, her cheeks flushed and her chest heaving, he captured her lips in a kiss once more as she dug her fingers into his back.

Their bodies met at exactly the same time as sweat coated them, her breast pressed against his chest as his hair fell in sweaty locks into his eyes, tangling with her own damp locks as he kissed her lips, her cheeks, her nose, her damp forehead and back to her lips. His hands were touching her everywhere and she melted against him, running her hands over his taut muscles and burying her head in his sweating shoulder as delicious ripples of ecstasy swept over her again and again.

Draco matched their paces, his heart hammering continuously against his chest as shockwaves tore through him; this was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before, nothing and no one had ever come close to what they were making each other experience and it unnerved him at the same time as giving him a sense of belonging he had never had before.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Afterwards, while they waited for their breathing to slow Ginny glanced at the clock.

"It's two o'clock; it's my parent's anniversary today. Sleeping with the enemy, the worst present I could have given them."

Draco's grip tightened savagely on her body as she turned back to look at him, his eyes nothing but black holes in his face as they were hidden in shadow like a skull's.

"Is that why you slept with me?" He hissed, his hand grasping her arm with a vice-like iron grip.

She turned in his arms to look at him, surprised at how much she wanted to deny that fact, she shook her head.

"Not entirely."

Slightly more satisfied he kissed her once more before nestling his head against her hair.


	13. Sacrifices

A/N: don't own anything but the people unrecognisable

Thanx as always for the reviews, you guys rock cheers to kneh13 for being my beta and kicking me when I got lazy. Keep reivewin ppl, I know it aint very long but enjoy =) xx

The lyrics at the beginning are from 'One Heart' by O-Town

Chapter Thirteen – Sacrifices

Would you make a sacrifice  
if you knew if it were right  
Well the answers' there, if you look inside  
Will you run and hide  
Or will you fight the fight  
  
Cause there's a power  
Inside you  
And there's a battle to be won  
And every victory has a beginning  
The way it always has begun  
With the power of one

Coming back to earth the next morning Ginny groaned and tried to sit up, falling back against the pillows when a pain shot through her body from her kidnapping the day before. Leaving Draco sleeping peacefully besides her she wriggled out of his arms and pulled on the pair of shorts and the shirt from last night, buttoning up a few of the buttons and wandering out onto the balcony, a hot mug of coffee a tittering House elf had just handed her before scurrying off, clasped in her hands.

Watching her stare out at the hills in the distance Draco felt a strong pull in his heart and wondered dazedly what it was. The rising sun cast a harsh white glow on her skin, highlighting the shadows under her eyes from last nights excesses and the cut on her cheek and his eyes narrowed as he remembered how terrified she had been before anger took over her.

Rising silently from the bed he wrapped the sheets around his waist and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around her and expecting a self-defence move. He was not expecting her to lean back against him, drop her head against his shoulder and caress his imprisoning arm.

"Ginny! If someone grabs you from behind you do NOT stroke their arm and rub against them!"

His voice was uneven and he sounded as though he was being strangled.

"I knew it was you though."

She looked up at him as she tilted her head back with an innocent smile that sent pangs of lust piercing into him. He lowered his lips to hers in an awkward kiss and Ginny suddenly understood why Noah and Juno were so close after one night; she knew everything to say and do and when to say or do it to him and she felt as though she had known him forever.

"Draco?"

His lips were busy teasing the tender flesh of her neck and he grunted to show he was at least half-listening.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Ginny's eyes had fluttered closed from his caresses but they flew open when she felt his lips and body abruptly leave her. She turned around to see him already across the room and staring out of the window in the next wall, his hands resting on the ledge and his forehead pressed against the cool glass.

"I've come close."

His voice was blank as he shifted his gaze further up, stiffening slightly when Ginny reached out to him. She hauled herself up onto the ledge and sat with her back leaning against the window and one hand splayed on the centre of his chest, his skin cooling her hand.

"Close?"

Her gaze was fixed on him as she willed herself not to chew her bottom lip as she waited for his answer.

"There's one time that's the closest."

He shifted slightly, subtly drawing closer to her as he moved his piercing grey eyes from the distant hills to her face.

"Who?"

Her voice was no more than a whisper as her bottom lip trembled of its own accord and her breath came in little gasps, her chest heaving.

"Someone I should never have even looked twice at."

He was drawing even closer as he spoke, their voices below a whisper as his face inched closer, tears brimming in her eyes as her heart sank.

'This is the closest.'

His voice rang out in her head and she jerked her head up to look at him, her eyes cavernous as colour flooded back into her face.

"How close?"

Her lips brushed his as she spoke and he pushed a tendril of dark red hair behind her ear, his knuckles stroking her freckled cheek.

"Too close."

He lowered his lips to hers, burying his hands in her hair as she clung to him, her fingers digging into his upper arms as the intensity of his passion ignited hers and filled her with trembling lust.

A frenzied banging on the door made them jump, Ginny slamming her head into the window with blinding force as Draco dropped the sheet keeping him decent and the door flew open.

"Hey honey, I'm home."

Blue froze in the doorway, his gaze flickering from Ginny killing herself laughing and Draco frozen in shock. Looking down Blue raised an eyebrow and Draco turned as pink as he could.

"Why Draco, I had no idea you cared so much."

Blue tittered, fluffing his hands about his face and putting on a high-pitched voice, ending in a flurry of giggles as Ginny fell off the window ledge laughing.

"Shut up! To what do I owe the pleasure of your annoying presence?"

Draco pulled the sheets back around him and glared at Blue as he sauntered over, kissed Ginny on the cheek and dropped into a chair by the window.

"Didn't you know? All the Six are staying here until we've figured out what the prophecy is about."

Draco scowled at him and marched into the bathroom, grabbing a set of clothes as he passed and emerging looking the usual God he acted. Ginny rolled her eyes at the pair of them and darted into the bathroom, pulling on yet another of Draco's shirts; this time black and another pair of his silky green shorts. Blue wolf-whistled when she came out, her hair in two braids and her face naturally flushed with happiness.

"Noah wanted to see you; he's down the hall with some of your stuff."

Ginny nodded at Blue and left the pair of them to their discussion, pushing open the only other door in the hallway and falling on her best friend giggling and chatting. Collapsing onto the bed she paused when she saw a framed wizard photo of herself and Harry lying discarded on the bed and she picked it up.

"Didn't do as he should have did he?"

Ginny looked up at Noah and shrugged vaguely, her eyes on the pair of them laughing and rolling around in the snow; if Harry had been her Mate things would be so much simpler. She didn't hate Draco anymore, he was growing on her and she had no doubt that she could spend the rest of her life with him as the prophecy foretold, but if it had been Harry then her family would have accepted it more easily and things would have been so much more straightforward.

"What's that?"

Not buying into the innocent look on her face, Noah dropped onto the bed next to Ginny and tapped a finger on the glass covering the photographic images of the frolicking friends.

"He was meant to suddenly realise how much he wanted you and spend the rest of his natural-born life kicking himself over letting you go."

Ginny snorted lightly and nodded, swiping at a misguided tear and gazing down at the pair of them, discreetly studying the marks Draco had left on her body while pleasuring her.

"Yeah well."

Noah watched her for a moment before dropping a hand under her chin and lifting her head so he could see her eyes.

"Why are you lying to me?"

Ginny jumped out of his grasp, startled and stared at him nervously. He sighed and dropped his hand to her leg as she let her head fall onto his shoulder.

"-'There is no turning back now. You've woken up the demon in me.'-"

She sang lightly, quoting one of her favourite songs and feeling Noah stiffen as he realised what she meant and he gazed down at her, his huge amber eyes amused.

"And about time too."

Ginny started and turned to look at him in surprise, her eyes lowering when he gave a knowing smirk that made her flush and she elbowed him in the ribs, hard.

"What is it you dragged me into here for anyway?" She grumbled.

Noah lowered his gaze and twiddled his fingers shiftily, looking thoroughly uncomfortable, miserable and guilty.

"Dumbledore wanted to speak to you downstairs in the drawing room."

Ginny watched him suspiciously before getting to her feet and heading down the stairs after a hovering house elf. Standing outside a large black door with the same serpents as in every other room entwined on it she felt a terrible sense of foreboding sweep over her and she wrenched her hand away from the door handle as if it was on fire.

"Come in, Miss Weasley."

Ginny jumped as Dumbledore's voice rang out through the door as it swung open on its own with a loud eerie creak, revealing Dumbledore and Narcissa Malfoy sat opposite each other in high, hard-backed uncomfortable looking black leather chairs by the fire roaring in the black marble fireplace.

Feeling completely unsettled she stepped in, her feet protesting at the contact with the freezing cold icy marble floor as she crossed the room, stepping gratefully onto the thick black rug before sinking into an identical black chair conjured by Narcissa.

"You wanted to see me?"

Her voice trembled with the sinister feelings filling her and Dumbledore looking oddly grave as he watched her over his joined fingers, his eyes darkened to navy blue as she bit her lower lip.

"Yes, you and young Mr Malfoy..."

Ginny flushed and looked down at the floor where the fire was reflected in the glittering slabs of marble.

"You can't stay together."

Her head jerked up and she stared at him in disbelief, her mouth hanging open as she goggled from one to the other, Narcissa looking more miserable by the second.

"What?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper as her lip trembled and her eyes began to sting with furious tears. Her hands were gripping the arms of the chair so tightly her knuckles were white, the dark red nails glimmering in the firelight as they dug painfully into the wood.

"If Kendra finds out about the Prophecy, which she will very soon through her resources, she will do anything to prevent it. She won't hesitate to kill you or your Mate to stop it."

Tears traced down her cheeks as she averted her gaze from his sympathetic eyes into the heart of the fire, she didn't hear Dumbledore get up or see him approach her until he was kneeling in front of her with one hand on top of hers.

"You have to stop it."

She slowly raised her eyes to his and he winced at the pain searing from them, tears drowning them and turning them to a very dark coffee colour.

"How? You know yourself once a vampire finds their Mate there's nothing you can do."

Her voice was barely above a whisper as Draco's image swam before her eyes and she squeezed them shut, remembering the feel of his hands on her, his lips on her body, his bare skin against hers, his sweaty hair mixing with hers and his face above hers framed by moonlight as he whispered endearments into her ear.

"You're right there is no way, but you have to prevent Kendra from discovering who he is. Give him doubt of your love, take away the certainty he holds of how you feel."

Ginny swallowed hard on the tears building in the back of her throat and she looked down and sideways, away from his gaze. He had no right to ask her this, no right to snatch away the chance of paradise, the only thing she had ever been a part of that felt right and real.

"You know he'll fight for us."

Dumbledore nodded kindly and Narcissa winced, she knew her son loved this girl even he couldn't hide it and now she was helping take away the first person he had ever really cared for. She had noticed that lately he was happier, more sociable although no one but her would notice the change and she was positive Ginny had inspired this change.

"You have to do this; you must make him hurt briefly now to save him later. One day he'll understand."

Ginny nodded and got to her feet numbly, perfectly aware he wouldn't understand, ever, even if she did tell him her reasons. She paused out side his door, her heart racing; did she have to do this? Sighing she pushed open the door to find Draco laughing with Blue, looking more relaxed than she had ever seen him.

-=-=-=-=-=-

((Draco's POV))

A light sleeper Draco was awake before Ginny had even left the bed properly and he watched her through eyes narrowed to slits so she wouldn't notice, his silver lashes framing her as she crept across the room in last night's clothes towards the balcony.

Hiding a laugh when she accepted a mug of coffee from his personal house elf with a puzzled expression on her face he got quietly to his feet and draped the sheets around his lean hips, wincing silently at the two sets of red half-moon marks in his shoulder blades where Ginny had dug her nails in last night.

He crept over to her and grabbed hold of her, bracing himself for a self-defence manoeuvre and almost choking when she lay back against him and ran a hand up his embracing arm.

"Ginny! If someone grabs you from behind you do NOT stroke their arm and rub against them!"

Hearing the slight break in his voice he winced at the cause when she did it again, the soft rounded cushion of her behind innocently rubbing against him and he swallowed, hard.

"I knew it was you though."

Eyeing the innocent look on her face he inwardly groaned and lowered his lips to her jutting pink ones, unable to contain himself as pinpricks of desire speared his entire body.

"Draco?"

He made a noise at the back of his throat as his lips were busy sucking at her throat his tongue, teeth and lips arousing her within seconds.

"Have you ever been in love?"

He started inwardly and drew away, crossing the room in a split second and dropping his forehead against the window, his hands flat on the window ledge.

"I've come close."

Even to him his voice sounded empty and he stiffened involuntarily as Ginny laid a warm hand on his back before climbing onto the window ledge besides him, her hand on his bare chest.

"Close?"

He didn't look at her as he answered, his heart hammering against his ribs as he analysed his feelings quickly, as he had been doing so much lately.

"There's one time that's the closest."

Removing his gaze from the view he looked over at her to see her chewing her bottom lip nervously until it turned a dull red colour and he realised if she continued it would be bleeding.

"Who?"

If they hadn't been so close he wouldn't have heard her question and he could tell she was gasping for breath out of nerves.

"Someone I should never have even looked twice at."

Never moving his gaze from her he inched closer, seeing the tears springing to her eyes as his hand drifted to her waist underneath her shift, gently rubbing the soft skin he encountered there.

'This is the closest.'

The moment her head snapped up, nearly knocking him out he knew she had heard him and the corner of his lips twitched at the joy pooling in her eyes.

"How close?"

Their lips brushed as she spoke and he gently pushed some of her hair behind her ear, the back of his hand caressing her cheek.

"Too close."

Their lips met and his hands shot up to her hair, twisting his fingers into the silky strands as her grip tightened on him, her nails digging into the taut white flesh in his upper arms. His stomach met his jumping heart and lust burnt a trail through him, seeming to bring hers to life as she leant against him as though growing faint with the intensity of their passion.

He heard Ginny's head crack the window with a sudden force as an almighty banging on the door made her leap away from him, taking his sheet with her.

"Hey honey, I'm home."

Turning to look at the figure framed by the doorframe he scowled at Blue who was looking from his groin to Ginny two-double laughing and then up to Draco's infuriated face.

"Why Draco, I had no idea you cared so much."

Ginny fell off the ledge besides him in fits of laughter as Draco glared furiously at Blue's impression of a girl, wincing when he kissed Ginny on the cheek and a white-hot pain shot through his temple as Blue dropped into the chair nearby.

"Shut up! To what do I owe the pleasure of your annoying presence?"

Draco yanked the sheet up off the floor and tied it back around his hips.

"Didn't you know? All the Six are staying here until we've figured out what the prophecy is about."

Glowering at him Draco grabbed an outfit from his wardrobe and crossed the room into the bathroom, glaring at Blue as he whistled at Ginny emerging from the bathroom looking sexily beautiful in another of his shirts and shorts.

"Noah wanted to see you; he's down the hall with some of your stuff."

Ginny nodded and left the room with Draco's eyes on her, he turned back to Blue and collapsed onto the end of the bed, turning faintly green and checking the back of his pants before clicking his fingers for his house elf to change the sheets.

"So."

Draco looked at Blue steadily, wondering how much he had figured out and how much he was willing to tell him.

"So."

Blue rolled his eyes and leaned back in the chair, his slender body slouching elegantly as he stretched his long legs out, encased in black leather and rested his head on his left fist.

"You slept with her then."

Draco shrugged, his face impassive as he watched Blue smirk at him in that annoying way that Draco had no idea he himself had occasionally.

"Sure you did, you're bloody glowing. You've fallen hard haven't you, Drakey-boy."

Blue mocked lightly, smirking at him to hide his shock when Draco actually blushed and averted his gaze. He sank back onto the bed as the house elf, used to doing things exceptionally fast to avoid Lucius Malfoy's morbid punishments, left bowing low as he backed out of the room backwards.

"Shut up, Blue."

Blue raised an eyebrow at him and cocked his head to the side, he'd always been able to read Draco before when no one else could and it was obvious now that the whole Mate thing with Ginny wasn't the whole reason he spent time with her, he knew his friend was falling in love; something he neither knew how to identify or how to handle.

"I think you have it bad, love."

Blue winked at him and Draco turned away to hide the flare of pleasure in his eyes at his words. Swiftly changing the subject he moved the attention to Blue himself;

"So, you and Frankie?"

Blue cocked an eyebrow at Draco and smirked.

"Have you?"

Smiling slyly Blue raised both eyebrows and shrugged innocently, a wicked glint lighting his eyes up.

"I'm working on it."

Draco laughed and shook his head, surprised that he wasn't remotely attracted to any other girl but Ginny these days.

"I'd have thought you'd like a classier type of woman."

Blue chortled and shifted in his seat, looking at Draco rather a fox would look at another fox upon sensing a rabbit.

"There's nothing classy about what I want to do to that girl."

They both jumped and Draco lowered his eyes guiltily as Ginny pushed open the door. He immediately knew something was wrong when Ginny wouldn't look him in the eye and he got to his feet, crossing the room in a heartbeat to reach her.

"What's wrong?"

Ginny looked up at, the concern in his eyes twisting the guilty knife in her heart and she stared at him, wondering if she could go through with what she had been sent there to do. He watched her curiously when her eyes hardened with determination and she pressed her lips briefly against his before wrapping her arms around him and leaning against him, her head on his chest as his arms closed around her.

"Nothing at all."


	14. Bella and Milly

A/N: I own none of the characters besides those not recognisable from the books

The lyrics at the beginning are from 'I'll Never Find Someone Like You' by Keith Martin

The quotes are from 'Romeo and Juliet' obviously

Thanx to the reviews and hope ya enjoy this one, bit shorter than usual but oh well. enjoy =) xx

Chapter Fourteen – Bella and Milly

Girl I'm afraid just to give you the run  
My heart's telling me to hold on to my love  
But when you get close  
I want you to know  
I start to get weak  
And I can't let you go

"Alright then, if you're not a philistine, what's your favourite play?"

Draco looked at her steadily, his bare hairless chest heaving and glittering with beads of sweat as he shook his mane of silver blond hair back out of his eyes.

"Romeo and Juliet."

He confessed, staring boldly at her as she gave a start of surprise for two very different reasons; one, Draco Malfoy was not the person you would expect to be reading fluffy romantic tragedies and two, Romeo and Juliet was her favourite play.

"Really?"

He nodded, amusement joining defence in his eyes as he watched her straighten up; hand on her hip panting for breath. Her white crop top shirt that crossed just under her breasts and fastened at the back was plastered to her skin with sweat and her long legs emerging from the short white shorts she was wearing beaded with sweat as her sweat-drenched towel hung limp in her hand.

"– 'My only love sprung from my only hate

Too early seen unknown and known too late

Prodigious birth it is to me

That I must love a loathed enemy – '"

Draco raised an ironic silver-blond eyebrow at her quote as she straightened up, her breathing still irregular but from a slightly different cause.

"– 'I fear, too early; for my mind misgives

Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,Shall bitterly begin his fearful dateWith this night's revels and expire the termOf a despised life, closed in my breast,By some vile forfeit of untimely death.But he that hath the steerage of my courseDirect my sail! On, lusty gentlemen!' – "

Their gaze didn't break as he took a step towards her, his hand drifting lazily to land on her sweaty bare hip as she gazed up at him, her breathing quickening from his slightest touch. He smirked down at her feeling his own desire stirring inside him, no matter how often he had her he never got enough of her, he constantly felt the need to touch her, feel her skin on his, her lips teasing his.

The moment was shattered when a chocolate brown Labrador burst into the room when accompanying barks and crashes as it knocked an antique vase over.

"Come here you stupid animal! Milly!"

A small girl with a sheet of silvery-blonde hair and huge mocking grey eyes barged into the room after the dog and threw herself on it. Ginny's heart raced at the word and her mouth went dry almost immediately, her palms becoming sweaty and her eyes flashing as though she had a fever. To her relief Draco noticed none of this.

"Bella, what the hell are you doing?!"

Caught between helpless laughter and frustration at being interrupted Draco glared at the girl who got to her feet and glared right back, her small rosebud mouth twisting into a sneer identical to Draco's.

"I'm looking after my puppy."

She snarled, her eyes never leaving Draco's as she folded her arms and swung her hips to one side. Ginny was close to tears of laughter as she watched, this girl could be no more than seven years old and she already had all the arrogance of Draco, who was without a doubt her brother.

"Some looking after."

Draco raised an eyebrow as the puppy launched himself on a cushion and proceeded to tear it apart happily.

"Who's that?"

The girl asked rudely, nodding at Ginny without moving her gaze from Draco who stared back at her haughtily.

"That's Ginny, and you will be nice to her."

He added menacingly and the girl stuck her tongue out at him, wrinkling her snub nose and lifting her head snootily as she surveyed Ginny who found herself wishing she wasn't drenched in sweat and bright red in the face. Her gaze flickered down to the floor to see the girl tapping a foot encased in a heavy black boot, a pair of baggy white combat pants low at the hips and a long-sleeved black tank top emphasized by the sheet of silver hair falling like a sheet of glass behind her shoulders and down to her waist.

"Why should I?"

Draco advanced on the girl slowly and the girl's defiance faltered slightly as she took a step back. Suddenly running at her she gave a shriek of laughter as Draco scooped her up and swung her over his shoulder as she beat her fists furiously on his back and kicked her legs.

"Because I said so."

Leaning up so she could see him the girl glared at him and stuck out her bottom lip, still managing to look like royalty even in that odd position.

"I hate you."

She grumbled, though there was no animosity in her voice as Ginny watched the affection in Draco's softened eyes curiously.

"No you don't."

The girl scowled at him before smiling a genuine smile that lit up her whole face and brought warm blue sparks to her eyes as he dropped her gently back onto the floor.

"Ginny this is Belladonna, my annoying brat of a little sister. I've been trying to prove for years she was adopted at birth."

Bella stuck her tongue out at Draco again before wandering over to where Ginny was still standing awkwardly watching the little girl warily as Draco crossed the room to pour himself a glass of Pumpkin Juice from the large jug on the small table by the window equally small arched stained glass window. Bella then proceeded to circle Ginny looking her up and down as she did so until Ginny was past caring if she sounded rude;

"Were you a vulture in another life or something?"

She snapped before flushing and shooting a cautious glance at Draco before turning back to Bella who had frozen in front of her and was squinting up at her face.

"You're a cheeky bitch."

Ginny looked as though she had been slapped as she took a startled step back, glowering at Bella who paused for a second before continuing;

"That's good, I like you."

Ginny goggled at Bella before shrugging and taking the little girl's outstretched hand, Draco, looking delighted, returned and dropped an arm on Ginny's shoulder as the two girls shook hands.

"Well that's a first; she's hated all the other girls I brought back."

Bella scowled and rolled her eyes as she took Ginny's hand and dragged her over to the cushions on the floor, cuffing the puppy gently on the nose to make him move and pulling Ginny down next to her.

"That's because they were stupid bitches, thinking they were great because Drake chose them, they weren't laughing when they got kicked out the next morning."

Bella let out a cackle of laughter and Draco winced, glancing over at Ginny expecting to see her looking upset, instead she was smiling ruefully at Bella. Watching the pair of them giggling and chatting he slipped out of the room unnoticed and padded down the dark hallways towards the kitchen at the back of the house where he was rather surprised to find his mother sat at the kitchen table reading a book.

"Mother."

The greeting hung awkwardly in the cold air and she looked up and smiled weakly, closing her book and waving a long pale hand at the empty seat in front of her which he sank into, his eyes fixed on his mother warily.

"Draco, there's something I wish to discuss with you."

Narcissa shifted awkwardly in her seat, the folds of her long midnight-blue velvet dress rustling as she tapped her long fingernails on the hard wood of the table and focused her pale blue gaze on the small leaded window behind him.

"Go on."

She swallowed harshly and Draco watched her curiously, wondering what it was she was nervous about. Absentmindedly he picked a stray dinner knife ready to be put away up of the sideboard and scratched at the table.

"You and Ginny."

His scratches became faster and deeper but otherwise he didn't even flicker t the implication his mother was tiptoeing around.

"Yes?"

Narcissa looked down at the scratches in the wood, cursing Dumbledore for insisting she did this by herself when it was such a delicate subject to bring up.

"It can't last."

The knife hit the table as Draco snapped his head up to stare at his mother who was looking more uncomfortable by the second. Looking back down he retrieved the knife and went back to digging at the wooden surface of the table with it.

"Oh?"

Narcissa swallowed again and ran her tongue over her rather thin lips trying to moisten them and get rid of the horrible dryness nervousness was creating.

"You see if Kendra discovers who it is that will produce the only person capable of stopping her, she won't hesitate to kill them to prevent it."

Draco's gaze flickered back up to meet hers for a second before he shifted his eyes and glared back at the hard stone floor to his right as Narcissa made a movement as though to place her hand on his own lying to the side on the table as his other whittled away at the table, but changing her mind she dropped it into her lap where it joined her other and twisted her dress nervously.

"Right."

Narcissa was well aware this was not going to make him change his mind about Ginny no matter what she said but for their own sakes she blundered on.

"Do you understand?"

He nodded and she sighed, getting to her feet and circling around him to leave the room, briefly dropping her hand on his hunched shoulder in an unusual act of affection before leaving the room with her long dress slithering along the floor behind her.

Looking down as he dropped the knife onto the table Draco caught sight of the word his whittling had produced out of the corner of his eye. Destiny. Sighing he got to his feet and tossed the knife into the sink before leaving the room to find Ginny, no doubt Bella had managed to get them both into trouble by now.

-=-=-=-=-=-

"So what happened to your father?"

Bella shrugged and turned to look out over the distant hills as people seemed to do a lot in this house, Ginny observed. Small strands of her hair drifted past her face as the breeze tugged at them and Ginny impatiently pushed strands of her own russet locks back behind her ears as she swung lightly on one of the wooden swings hanging from the old oak tree by the lake.

"I woke up one morning and he was gone. Mother says he went on vacation but I'm not stupid; I know the Aurors took him away in the night. I saw Mother crying over their wedding album last week, she won't admit it but she does miss him."

Every time the pair of them swung at the same time forwards they could see their reflections in the still black of the lake before them and Ginny silently took in the differences between the two of them.

"Do you?"

Bella's pale face hardened and her grip tightened on the ropes holding the seat of the swing up.

"No."

Her savage reply was whipped away by the wind and Ginny wisely dropped the subject and went back to swinging peacefully.

"What's Draco like as a brother?"

Bella's face softened and she turned to look at Ginny slyly, her eyes flashing with mischief as she swung her legs to make herself go higher.

"Very cool, he's really sweet when he thinks no one's looking. But don't tell him I said that."

Ginny wrinkled her freckled forehead and sped up her own pace to keep up with Bella's, watching her as they swung in time and Bella leant back, keeping a tight hold on the swing and making her hair billow out like a banner behind her.

"Why not?"

Bella paused thoughtfully before closing her eyes and leaning back again, stretching so her hair nearly brushed the water below them as she straightened her legs and sighed peacefully.

"Because it's much more fun to fight with him."

Ginny laughed and copied Bella, feeling her stomach jump every time her straightened legs rose above her upper body and the world spun.

"Why did you jump when I shouted Milly's name."

Ginny nearly fell off the swing as her eyes snapped open and she sat up shakily, ceasing the movement of her legs so she slowed right down, Bella following suit until they were both swinging only slightly as Ginny looked over at the horizon.

"I had a sister once."

Her voice was flat and emotionless and Bella, used to living with people who hid their emotions reached out a little hand and gripped Ginny's ice-cold one in it. Ginny returned the pressure of her fingers and smiled slightly, neither of them noticing Draco leaning against the oak tree, hidden by its shadow. Ginny sighed and turned away, the setting sun turning her face a riot of oranges, reds and yellows.

"She died about six years ago now."

Bella slipped off her swing and crawled onto Ginny's lap and Ginny hugged her to her, grateful for the comforting presence of the little girl.

"She was my oldest brother, Bill's twin but she was also my best friend. The three of us did everything together, you never saw one without the other two, it never matter to them that I was a lot younger like it did to the others.

"What happened?" Bella whispered, twisting her little hand into Ginny's and looking up at her with huge eyes darkened to slate with sympathy.

"We were out playing in the woods near home when these huge figures in cloaks came barging past shouting. Bill was busy dragging us both out of the way when I got my foot caught in a tree root and fell over, Milly helped me get my foot out and pushed us both out of them way when one of the cloaked guys turned around and saw us. He must have been trying to get at us or something; I don't really remember much it was all a blur, but I remember Bill shouting and pulling on my sleeve, then Milly shouting and shoving me out of the way and then one of the men grabbing her ankle as she was running away and falling on top of her. There was this horrible crack like an egg breaking and then it all went very quiet, the men in the cloaks Disapparated and we were left on our own in the middle of a clearing. I had twisted my ankle when I fell so I crawled over to Milly, Bill doing the same from behind me with blood pouring down his face where he'd been hit by one of them, and we carried Milly home. Her neck had been snapped."

Ginny was rocking backwards and forwards on the swing absently, clutching Bella to her tightly as she relived moments from her past she had long since buried.

"Bella."

Bella and Ginny both jumped as Draco emerged from behind the tree and watched as Bella kissed Ginny on the cheek, scrambled off her knee and ran back to the house.

"Come on."

Taking a trembling Ginny in his arms he guided her back to the house and into her room, practically forcing her to take a Sleeping Potion and watching her until she fell into a deep sleep, her chest rising steadily as her eyelids flickered proving she was dreaming.

-=-=-=-=-

Ginny sighed and switched her gaze from a chattering Bella collecting herbs with her nanny to the black hills sprinkled with tiny white dots of light in the distance. She was in her favourite place again, curled up on the edge of the balcony where it met the wall; Bill sat opposite her with his eyes locked onto her.

"I miss her."

She finally spoke and her voice was gruff with building tears as she fiddled with the hem of Draco's shirt, well aware he was apparently sleeping peacefully in the bed just behind her but probably listening in.

"I know, I do too. But not so much anymore."

Ginny turned to look at him incredulously and he gave her a small strained smile, taking a puff of his cigarette he blew the smoke before them and waved his wand at it. It bubbled into the shape of a head and shoulders that looked remarkably like Ginny but with lighter hair and darker eyes and less freckles. Ginny smiled weakly and blew into the smoke causing it to disperse.

"I used to miss her so much it was unbearable, but now; I look at you and can still see her looking back at me inside you, I can hear her chatting when you laugh and I feel her play fighting and hugging me whenever you smile. And I shall now quote one of the greatest films of all time, the Lion King; ' – She lives in you. – ' You really don't know how similar you are, but you will eventually."

A single tear ran down her freckled cheek, hundreds more collecting in her eyes like tiny stars and turning them a dark ivy green. Bill raised an equally freckled hand and placed it on her cheek, his eyes dark pools of sorrow.

"Goodnight, Gin."

Ginny forced a smile as he kissed her forehead and quickly departed via Floor Powder and a loud crackle that 'woke' Draco.

Seeing her despairing outline slumped on the balcony he crept out of bed and slid onto the edge behind her, his arms circling her waist and her head falling back onto his shoulder as though they were made to fit together.

"I'm sorry about your sister." He murmured into her hair as she shifted so she was sitting sideways with her legs dangling over the edge.

"I'm sorry about your father."

She felt him stiffen for a few seconds before relaxing again, his fingertips running up and down her arm with a feather-light touch.

"No big loss, I'd say my Mother is the only one who misses him. Would I be right in thinking Milly had something to do with you opening the Chamber of Secrets?"

It was Ginny's turn to freeze up as she tilted her head to look up at him, her eyes huge in her face darkened by shadows as she nodded, the light of a lamp shining through the lattice window next to them showering her face with shadow lines.

"Tom... Riddle promised me that he could bring her back, but it would take another's life first."

Draco's arms tightened possessively around her and she was glad of it, the warmth of his body soothed her as his heart beat pounded by her ear.

"And you were going to give yours."

He felt Ginny nod against his chest and anger sizzled inside him as he narrowed his eyes at the moon smiling innocently down on them.

"I thought... well... no one would ever miss me the way they miss her so why not... she'd been gone a year and it still felt like a wound that wouldn't heal right across my heart."

Draco let out a sigh that ruffled her hair as her grip tightened on his arm, she had never told anyone this part of the story, she had never expected anyone to figure it out.

"What do you think Milly would have said if she'd known what you were sacrificing for her?"

This silenced Ginny and she gnawed on her bottom lip as she mulled it over in her head, Milly's cheery voice ringing in her brain causing both pleasure and pain.

"She'd have told me not to be a complete idiot as you always have to be a bit of an idiot."

Draco's lips twitched as Ginny smiled into his chest, her eyes fluttering closed as an image of Milly chattering away to her cheerfully as she loosened the bolts on Fred and George's bedroom door so it flew off the hinges at the slightest touch and knocked over their cauldron scattering fluorescent green goo everywhere.

Flashback 

"Milly! What the hell did you do that for?!"

Milly folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe smirking, Ginny sat on the floor laughing at Fred and George scowled at the pair of them from underneath the pulsing green liquid.

"You took all the slats out from under my bed so when I lay on it the mattress collapsed through the bottom."

She replied calmly, examining the nails on her left hand as Fred and George exchanged a reminiscing look.

"Oh yeah, you'll pay for this."

Milly lifted both her eyebrows and flicked her hair over her shoulder with an imperious toss of her head.

"I look forward to it, what are you going to do play another prank?"

She snorted, watching them as they scrubbed at the liquid the Muggle way, forbidden to use magic underage and definitely not asking their parents for help.

"No, but I'll tell mom!"

George threatened, wincing at how childish it sounded but glowering at her nonetheless. Milly smirked and raised an eyebrow at the contents of the cauldron which was not only illegal for underage wizards to make a potion but also likely to get them grounded for the rest of the summer.

"Feel free."

The twins looked mutinous as they continued to clear up, mumbling about payback and sisters that hit below the belt as Milly and a still chortling Ginny left the room and headed down the stairs.

End flashback 

Looking up and noticing Draco was sleeping she leaned up and pressed her lips against his, smiling into his mouth when he returned the kiss without opening his eyes. She shifted so she was facing him and moved her legs so she had a leg on either side of him and he brought his up with some effort, crossing his ankles at her back and nudging her closer.

Without breaking the contact between their lips he ran a tongue over her jutting lower lip asking for entrance and she allowed him to slip his tongue into her mouth where he proceeded to explore every inch of the velvety inside of her mouth.


	15. Tears and Roses

A/N: same old, only own those unrecognisable from the books

The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Down With The Sickness' by Disturbed

The lyrics in the middle are from 'Remember Me This Way' by Jordan Hill and 'Where the Birds Always Sing' by The Cure

The funeral part was inspired by my babes Lauren, x-broken-x, who is also a great writer and much better at tearjerkers than me.

Thanx to all for reviews and keep reviewin plz babes. Enjoy =) xx

Chapter Fifteen – Tears and Roses

Drowning deep in my sea of loathing  
Broken your servant I kneel  
It seems what's left of my human side  
Is slowly changing in me  
  
Looking at my own reflection  
When suddenly it changes  
Violently it changes  
There is no turning back now  
You've woken up the demon in me

Ginny's face was expressionless as she re-read the letter on her crossed legs, angry tears threatening to spill over as her eyes skimmed over the bits that leaped out. She didn't look up when Draco entered the room and collapsed on his back across the bed, his hand snaking up her crossed legs and sneakily inching under her skirt. He froze when he saw the look on her face and reached up to lift her chin.

"What's wrong?"

Wordlessly she pushed the letter towards him and he scanned it, the old parchment feeling thick and uneven in his hands as he squinted at the scrawled black words, his mind working overtime as he took in the French passages. It seemed to be addressed to someone called Ivie Riley (A/N: pronounced Ivy) from who appeared to be Kendra's father as it was signed with his family's crest.

...Je vous félicite sur déchiffrer la première moitié de la Prophétie, et pour qu'essayer l'empêche de venir au sujet de mais malheureusement ; ce n'était pas la jeune fille vous la première pensée. Vous étiez bon dans supposer elle étiez une fille de Weasley, juste pas une que vous avez tuée réellement...

...I congratulate you on deciphering the first half of the Prophecy, and for attempting to prevent it from coming about but unfortunately; it wasn't the young girl you first thought. You were right in assuming she was a Weasley girl, just not the one you actually killed... 

Draco let the parchment slip out of his hand and turned to Ginny who was staring out of the window with such agony and rage burning in her normally joyful eyes he flinched, desperate to comfort her but aware she wouldn't want him to. She was practically crackling with rage, her hair seeming to give off static as she clenched her fists into balls, blood seeping over her fingers as her nails dug into her palms and cut into the flesh.

He felt the sudden rush of heat emanating from her that warned of her coming Change and he backed away slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements as her anger was too far gone for her to control. Her hair shot up and the thin shield of sunset colours surrounded her, as he backed against the wall waiting for the Change to pass.

Slowly the heat faded and she returned to half-normal state that follows the Change, her eyes still blazing with anger as she barged out of the room, down through the back doors and out into the garden, Draco racing after her and thanking god the house was empty. She seemed to have retained some of her normal self as she was heading away from the house where she could hurt someone or break something and out near the lake where she proceeded to rampage around, ripping up trees, blowing balls of fire at them in a blaze of fury.

Draco put out all the fires out with the small jets of water he could produce in his normal state, silently following her and keeping out of her way as her anger burned her up inside. Eventually she slowed down and froze at the edge of water, her chest heaving and her eyes throwing off white-hot sparks. Draco carefully approached her, one hand outstretched, she jerked when he touched her but he didn't falter, not noticing her skin was burning his hands as he edged closer.

"Ginny."

Her eyes focused on him through the two vertical pupils and he could have sworn he saw a flicker of the usual Ginny in their depths. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she bristled at his touch but when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders she collapsed sobbing onto his shoulder, he enveloped her in his arms awkwardly, frantic to comfort her but not having any idea how. She wrapped her arms around his waist and continued to sob into his chest, neither of them noticing when the heavens opened at Draco's misery and drenched the pair of them in seconds.

She broke down against him and his knees gave way beneath them, the pair of them dropping to the floor with a loud splash, Ginny's heartbroken sobs drowned out by the thundering rain as Draco rocked them back and forth slowly, his hand stroking her neck and the bare small of her back as he murmured comforting words into her ear, smoothing her drenched hair out of her eyes as he kissed her cold forehead over and over again, whispering endearments against her hair.

"Draco, Ginny? What the hell are you doing out here?!"

Draco jerked his head up at a drenched Noah and Juno, standing hand in hand at the top of the hill, shading their eyes with their free hands as they surveyed the couple entwined on the muddy banks of the lake. Draco shook his head and got steadily to his feet, lifting Ginny up with him and draping her arm around his waist as she leant against him and he half carried her up the hill towards the house.

"What's going on?"

Draco shot Noah a look and he immediately closed his mouth, his eyes fixed on Ginny who was sitting at the kitchen table staring at the blank wall with huge empty eyes swimming with tears. He briefly told the two of them about the letter through telepathy as he forced a mug of hot chocolate into Ginny's hands and wrapped her in a towel a frantically bowing house elf had just delivered.

Picking her up he carried her gently upstairs and laid her down on the bed, performing a simple sleeping charm on her until she was breathing evenly. He grabbed the letter from the floor and retreated back down the stairs to where Noah and Juno were sat in stunned silence, their hands entwined on the tabletop as they sipped absently at their hot chocolate.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Ginny's eyes flickered open and she sat up slowly, her eyes taking in the thick branches coated in heavy green leaves forming a ceiling above her head. From the angle of the sun slanting through the leaves and splintering on the floor of moss and broken bits of leaves and trees she could tell it was about noon. Her heart leaped and she scrambled to her feet licking her dry lips when three figures dashed into the clearing shoving each other and shrieking with laughter.

The sun reflected off the three heads of vivid red hair, one tied in two French braids down her back, the other with it falling as a sheet down her back. Ginny darted behind a tree, not sure whether they could see her or not but she wasn't taking any chances, she peered around in time to hear the yells and thundering of hundreds of feet before the tall lanky boy with shaggy red hair appeared besides her dragging the two girls behind him.

She bit her lip hard when the littlest girl slipped, her hands and knees hitting the floor with blinding force as she struggled to release her foot. The boy as busy trying to physically fight off at least four of the figures in long hooded cloaks besides her as the girl retreated back to help the other girl.

Finally the girl's foot was freed and the boy darted over, tugging harshly at her sleeve as one of the figures barrelled towards them. This time Ginny could see the huge black eyes, one covered by an eye patch over her right eye and the thin-lipped mouth forming a sneer as she lunged at the three children.

A tear slipped down her cheek and landed silently on her collar as she watched the elder girl shoving the younger one violently out of the way, following the others the girl slipped as her ankle was snatched at by the woman. The pair of them went down and a loud crack rent the air, a sound that had haunted Ginny for years as she watched the little girl struggling like a wildcat against the boy's restraining arms as he tried to tug her out of reach of the figures.

Looking around Ginny saw the clearing was deserted save for a little girl, taller than the average for her age with pale skin covered in a slight dusting of freckles and lying in a pool of red that, upon closer inspection, was her rich red hair half covering her face and shoulders. Breathing heavily Ginny watched as the boy released the girl, unable to hold onto her any longer as she bit and clawed at his arms in her desperation to reach the girl.

In slow motion she ran across the clearing, plaits flying as she landed on her hands and knees next to the girl, her small warm hand creeping into the girl's cooling slightly bigger hand before the boy dropped his own freckled hand onto her shoulder and the pair of them silently scooped the girl up, managing between them to carry her out of the clearing without a word.

Someone was screaming and Ginny thrashed around furiously before her eyes snapped open and she saw Draco's concerned eyes staring into hers and she realised it was her that had let out the shriek that had chilled his blood. He took her in his arms once again, stilling her trembling with his body heat as he stroked her hair and laid her head on his shoulder.

Draco only just held Ginny down when the door burst open and Dumbledore barged in, the real panic flaring in his eyes making Draco's heart leap into his throat. But once Dumbledore saw the pair of them on the bed, Ginny still shaking and staring around wildly his eyes softened and he dropped down onto the bed next to them.

"Miss Weasley?"

Ginny turned to look at him, still clasped in Draco's arms and was quite obviously glad of it as she twisted her hands into his shirt and pulled him closer.

"Cohen's parents have just arrived and have made arrangements for his burial tonight."

Something flickered at the back of her eyes as Draco ignored Dumbledore completely, his voice only just penetrating his ears as he watched Ginny flinch.

"They haven't found a place to have the service yet..."

Draco exchanged a look with his mother standing in the doorway before cutting across Dumbledore.

"Have it here."

Raising a silver eyebrow at Narcissa who nodded Dumbledore smiled briefly before getting to his feet and sweeping over to the fireplace. Tossing in some Floo Powder an older version of Cohen appeared in the flickering green flames and Ginny winced, burying her face in Draco's shirt already drenched in the sweat from her body.

Once the arrangements were made Dumbledore nodded at Draco, dropped a quick comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder and quickly left the room to prepare for the funeral.

"Are you sure you're up to this?"

Ginny nodded and got to her feet, wandering unsteadily over to the bathroom, climbing under the pounding boiling water and absentmindedly scrubbing at her pale skin before giving up and slumping against the white tiled wall, her forehead pressed against it as steam surrounded her and tears overcame her once more.

Hearing her Draco erupted into the room and dragged her out of the shower, once more holding her and drenching himself in the process. With the hand that wasn't stroking her trembling shoulders he turned off the shower and dropped a plug into the bath, switching on both taps and adding some of the scented bath salts his mother used.

Lowering her into the hot soapy water he stripped off his clothes and slipped in behind her, conjuring a sponge and soaping her shoulders and back. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder before tipping some shampoo into his hands and massaging it into her hair and scalp, the soothing scents calming her down until she was sighing and wriggling under his hands.

He rinsed off her hair and she smiled at him before twisting around awkwardly so her back was against the taps as she leant back in the water, rising up with soapy suds cascading down her breasts as he watched her hungrily. Pushing all miserable and angry thoughts to the back of her head Ginny conjured another sponge and the pair of them wriggled around in the huge marble bath splashing each other like little children before soaping each other definitely not like children until Ginny had her first experience of sex in the water which was something she'd never forget.

After kissing his way down her body Draco proved how long he could hold his breath for and Ginny admitted defeat willingly. Grinning wickedly up at him Ginny rotated their positions and disappeared under the water. Rising up blinking water out of her eyes, her eyelashes stuck together like starfishes Ginny sighed and glanced at the clock, nearly concussing herself when she leapt up and slipped, just missing hitting her head on the bath by inches.

Draco shook his head as he watched her scramble back into the bedroom to get ready and lay back in the water, watching the stars that provided the light darting around against the midnight black of the ceiling. Climbing slowly out of the bath he wrapped a towel around his waist and wandered into the bedroom to find Ginny applying lip gloss to Bella while she chattered away from the bed in a pair of black pants and a black jumper with her hair pulled up into a long ponytail.

Kissing Ginny's bare neck he made his way over to his wardrobe and stared in thoughtfully, pulling out a pair of black cords, a black short-sleeved shirt and a pair of black dragon-hide boots he rootled around in his drawers for a fresh pair of boxers while idly tuning into Ginny and Bella's conversation about Bella's new pony.

"Mother asked Dumbledore and he said Priscilla can pull the hearse with the others."

Bella grinned, clapping her hands in excitement as Ginny disappeared behind the ornately carved black mahogany screen to change. Emerging in a plain black silk dress that fell to the floor in swirling shimmering folds and clung to her slender hips and high jutting breasts Draco caught his breath silently. No one had any right to look that good.

Ginny was unaware how beautiful she looked as she adjusted the thick straps and pulled on her high heeled black shoes as Draco took her place behind the screen.

"You named your horse Priscilla?"

Draco snorted when Ginny turned to Bella curiously as she performed a simple straightening spell on her hair and pulled on a matching jacket nipped in at the waist, all the while fighting tears and putting on a false happy face for Bella.

"Yes, I named all of the horses besides Drake's."

Ginny helped the girl shrug into her black jacket as she talked and grabbed her purse from the table while they waited for Draco who took longer than anyone else purely to live up to their expectations.

"Go on then what are they called?"

Bella ticked the names off on her fingers as she spoke, her eyes on the ceiling as she concentrated, wrinkling her nose and chewing her tongue.

"There's Priscilla and Elvis. Then Pockets and Sparky."

Ginny nodded at each name and sent out a silent vote of sympathy to the horses as Draco finally sauntered out and dragged on his black suede jacket, holding out an arm for Ginny but instead having Bella grab his hand in her right and Ginny's in her left so she was swinging between them. Sending Ginny a weak smile over the little blonde head between them he started towards the door.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Ginny cowered down into her seat near the back pew of the small chapel at the back of the Malfoy's land, her hand tightly gripped in Draco's as she bit her numbed lips to stop her tears and stared fixedly at the beautiful white coffin before them. She smiled blankly at the various people who waved at her as they passed to get to their seats and was thoroughly glad when the Vicar got to his feet at the front and began his sermon.

"Many people have asked to pay their own personal tributes to Cohen and the parents of our dear departed friend have given some of them permission, first of all we have Miss Ginerva Weasley singing her favourite song in our friend's honour."

Ginny felt Draco start slightly as he turned to look at her getting to her feet and swiftly walking down the aisle and stopping just before the casket, one hand on its smooth shiny surface as she turned to face the silent room. She didn't speak a word, just opened her mouth and began and after the first line tears began to flow. Her voice was clear and piercingly sweet and soared up to the rafters of the room, raising the hair on everyone's heads as Draco shivered at the raw emotion melting into the exquisite voice.

"-Every now and then

We find a special friendWho never lets us down-Who understands it allReaches out each time we fallYou're the best friend I have found-I know you can't stayA part of you will never ever go awayYour heart will stay-I'll make a wish for youAnd hope it will come trueIf life will just be kind

To such a gentle mind

If you lose your way

Think back on yesterday

Remember me this way

Remember me this way

-I don't need eyes to seeThe love you bring to meNo matter where I goAnd I know that you'll be thereForever-more a part of me and everywhereI'll always care

-I'll make a wish for you

And hope it will come trueIf life will just be kindTo such a gentle mindAnd if you lose your wayThink back on yesterdayRemember me this wayRemember me this way-And I'll be right behind your shoulder, watching youI'll be standing by your side, all you doAnd I won't ever leaveAs long as you believeYou just believe-I'll make a wish for youAnd hope it will come trueIf life will just be kindTo such a gentle mindAnd if you lose your wayThink back on yesterdayRemember me this wayRemember me this wayOhThis way –"

There was absolute silence save for a few sniffles as people blew their noses and turned to sob into others' shoulders as Ginny returned to her seat, somehow feeling better as though she had done her part now to make it up to Cohen for not being strong enough. Of course the guilt would never fully leave her until she had made Kendra pay.

Draco, seeing Ginny's face harden and her eyes deaden knew exactly what she was thinking and gave her hand a squeeze as Cohen's best friends, a pair of twin brothers got to their feet.

"Cohen's closest friends have their own final gift for Cohen; they wish to recite a song as a poem."

"-The world is neither fair nor unfair

The idea is just a way for us to understandBut the world is neither fair nor unfairSo one survivesThe others dieAnd you always want a reason whyBut the world is neither just nor unjustIt's just trying to feel that there's some sense in itNo, the world is neither just nor unjustAnd though going youngSo much undoneIs a tragedy for everyone-It doesn't speak a plan or any secret thingNo unseen sign or untold truth in anythingBut living on in others, in memories and dreamsIs not enoughYou want everythingAnother world where the sun always shinesAnd the birds always singAlways sing-The world is neither fair nor unfairThe idea is just a way for us to understandBut the world is neither fair nor unfairSo one survivesThe others dieAnd you always want a reason whyBut the world is neither just nor unjustIt's just trying to feel that there's some sense in itNo, the world is neither just nor unjustAnd though going youngSo much undoneIs a tragedy for everyone-It doesn't mean there has to be a way of thingsNo special sense that hidden hands are pulling stringsBut living on in others, in memories and dreamsIs not enough and it never isYou always want so much more than this-An endless sense of soul and an eternity of loveA sweet mother down below and a just a father aboveFor living on in others, in memories and dreamsIs not enoughYou want everythingAnother world where the birds always singAnother world where the sun always shinesAnother world where nothing ever dies-"

Ginny bit her lip but dutifully got to her feet as everyone filed out in single file after the coffin carried by Cohen's father, two older brothers and his brother-in-law.

The trip to the little graveyard behind Hogsmeade was uneventful but almost pulled Ginny apart again as every person they passed as they rolled by in many four-seater carriages, pulled by invisible horses that were all borrowed from Hogwarts, raised their hats to them or bowed their heads in respect. The curtains in each shop and house windows closing magically as they passed and opening as the last carriage went by and the huge Hogwarts bells tolling in time to the clopping sound the invisible horses made with each step.

Stood by the open grave Ginny nearly broke down again as the casket was lowered slowly in time with the Vicar's voice and she dropped her single white rose, beaded with dew, into the darkness as the dirt was piled on top the casket.

"Ginerva? Draco? We need to talk."

Hollow with misery Ginny nodded and trailed after Dumbledore to the castle, Draco keeping a tight grip on her hand as he ground his jaw to keep from starting an argument or sniping at people which was his way of dealing with a feeling as unfamiliar as sorrow for someone else.

Once in Dumbledore's plush office the pair of them turned to look at their headmaster with wary eyes, Draco's arm draped across the back of Ginny's chair as they waited.

"We have reason to believe that a woman known as Ivie is back in England."

Draco felt Ginny stiffen and the letter danced before his eyes but his expression didn't falter at all.

"This news is disturbing as she is not only wanted by the Ministry of Magic here but in most of the countries all over the world."

Ginny's voice was blank and expressionless, a fact that made Draco shiver; Ginny was never blank, he could always tell exactly what she was thinking.

"Because she's a Dark Kida."

Draco jumped as if he'd been stung and turned to look first at Dumbledore then at Ginny who was glaring into the fire.

"But... but they're not real. My Father told me they died out years ago."

Dumbledore considered him for a moment, his head slightly cocked to one side as he put his long fingers together and looked down at them.

"Did your Father tell you the details of the Dark Kida's?"

Draco shook his head as Ginny turned to look at him curiously, her eyes still oddly blank instead of the usual sparkle.

"Well they are, I assume you both know, the hand-picked crueller Death Eaters. For a Death Eater that was their top ambition but it took a very cruel act to put you in for consideration."

Dumbledore paused and turned to look at Ginny who was only half-listening as she stared into the fire again.

"How did you know Ivie was a Dark Kida, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny jumped and stared at him, her throat closing up as memories once again resurfaced bringing a cold sweat and goose bumps with them.

"She had the mark."

Dumbledore nodded and turned to Draco who was watching them both somewhat suspiciously.

"A Dark Kida is only distinguishable from a Death Eater by the additions to their Dark Mark. There is a knife through the skull's head and blood droplets from the snake."

Ginny shuddered and Draco's grip tightened on her.

"Now, normally I wouldn't be even considering putting the pair of you in danger. But given the circumstances and your individuality..."

Dumbledore emphasised the last word with a glimmer of the old sparkle in his eyes as he laid his hands flat on the table.

"There is no reason why you shouldn't be allowed along, if you consent that is."

Without any hesitation Ginny nodded, something that looked suspiciously like hope flaring in her eyes as Draco nodded as well. Hearing the door open the turned to find the remaining Four smiling gravely at them.

"I will leave it to you to devise a plan that is suitable given the information we have."

Dumbledore rose to his feet and tossed a file of parchment onto his desk, crossing to the door and giving them all a ghost of a wink as he closed it behind them.

"I think two of us should handle the security, Juno, Noah?"

Juno and a very pale Noah nodded at Blue who nodded in return and turned to Frankie who was looking faintly green.

"If we find the rest of the Dark Kida's?"

Frankie nodded and he turned to Draco and Ginny who was looking suddenly extremely defiant.

"I want Ivie."

The five of them turned to stare at Ginny as she got to her feet and stalked across to the window where Hogwarts students were having snow fights and building snowmen innocently.

"Ginny I really think..."

Noah started before trailing off lamely at the look she sent her best friend, her face half shadowed by the slanting rays of the rising moon.

"No. She's mine."

There was a venom in her voice none of them had ever heard from her before and it sent the temperature in the room plummeting.


	16. Betrayal

A/N: as always I only own the characters not recognised from the books

The lyrics at the beginning are from 'You're My Hatred' by Closure

I know this is really short but it's important to the plot. Thanks for all the reviews and I hope you like it, keep reviewing cheers babes xx

Chapter Sixteen – Betrayal

How's your halo

Broken and fading

Selfish and hating

I see through you

You're good at lying

Running and hiding

Now you've been caught

I thank you

What's that, solar sound

Play it back, slow it down

Can't erase what's all around

You are my hatred

What's that, crawling out

Back in black

Now the light is shining down

I can't erase

What's all around

You are my hatred

Draco made his way across the room further down than the dungeons and equipped with every weapon you could imagine. Dumbledore had told them that since the Prophecy had first been heard of headmasters at Hogwarts had taken all necessary precautions to be ready when it started.

Passing Noah who was helping Juno strap on a knife to her upper thigh with a very red face, Draco rolled his eyes and nodded at Blue who was testing out two large daggers. Frankie had managed to appropriate a bow and arrow and was busy checking the sharpness of the arrows as she filled the matching black leather quiver. He finally reached Ginny and watched her silently as she slipped a thick leather belt on over her black leather pants and pushed a dagger into each side at the back by her hips.

Her cleavage was rising out of a black leather corset as her chest heaved at suppressed anger as she slipped a long silver sword, very like the Godric Griffindor one in Dumbledore's office, into its matching sheath at her left hip. He examined the sword in the few seconds before she sheathed it and was stunned to find it looking more like a Slytherin sword than a Griffindor one.

This sword's handle was made of a black metal, very similar in rarity to his signet ring, with jade and silver patterns swirling around its hilt. Where the hilt met the sword was a serpent's mouth with huge emeralds as its eyes that flashed in the light of the flickering torches lining the dark damp walls.

"Ginny?"

She spun around when her name hit her and her face softened slightly when she saw him. Anger was good for her, Draco reflected, her hair fell in softly curled loose ringlets around her face like liquid fire dipped in red wine and her eyes were sparkling an odd amber colour. Her cheeks were flushed and her freckles had all but faded, her nails were painted a dark black that seemed almost blue and had grown slightly so they looked like talons, she was almost into the Change.

"Ginny, just..."

She raised a blood red eyebrow at him, a smile curved her luscious lips painted ruby red and he couldn't resist smirking back, his lips meeting hers as they talked telepathically.

'Be careful?'

'At least try.'

Breaking apart he left his hand cupping her cheek which was icy cold despite her flushed, fevered appearance before returning to gather his own weapons.

"Alright here's the plan; once we're in we only speak telepathically. Juno and Noah, one of you needs to take the North side and one the South working clockwise, security is going to be very tight so a suggest you Change before you even try anything."

Juno and Noah nodded at Blue from the cushions on the floor, already agreed telepathically on who would take which side.

"Frankie and I will be making our way to the Main Chamber, here."

Blue waved a hand at the huge map of the Dark Kida's base on the wall and a blue dot appeared in the largest room.

"Where we've been told the Dark Kida's are having a meeting."

Blue was obviously enjoying himself as he was sounding more and more like an FBI agent organising a mission by the minute.

"Draco will be working on keeping the area around us secure as we deal with the Dark Kida's and Ginny will be..."

Blue trailed off and they all turned warily towards Ginny who was sat in the window seat with her booted legs propped up against the wall as she once more stared out at the rising sun, a dagger twirling in her fingers.

"Never mind."

He glanced over at Draco who was looking thoroughly boot-faced at the minimal part he was playing in this mission and who was also watching Ginny with hooded eyes as she pulled on her floor-length black leather jacket.

-=-=-=-=-

Appearing in a heavily secluded wood with no sunlight whatsoever piercing the thick canopy of leaves above their heads, they made their way through the undergrowth towards the edge where a huge castle shaped building was perched on the edge of a cliff. Taking a closer look at the apparently deserted building Ginny could detect the slight coloured haziness surrounding the outer walls that proved it was heavily guarded along with the hooded figures patrolling the edges that made it quite obvious something big was going on inside.

'How about we clear the outer perimeter to get us in the mood?'

Blue's voice rang in Ginny's head and she was sure she detected something odd, what was his personal vendetta against the Dark Kida's? Grimly the group nodded and set off in separate directions, a rough estimate told Ginny they had about two guards each to deal with.

A rush of anger fuelled adrenaline pounded through her and she drew her sword, more grateful than ever for the extra fencing and fighting lessons Draco had given her, which had more often than not, because of the heated passion Draco poured into his fighting, had ended up in wild sex on the exercise mats. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the others branch off and draw their own weapons before two hooded figures descended on her and all her attention and focus snapped into the ensuing battle.

Ducking the first punch she shoved her sword back into its sheath and grabbed the fist aimed at her. She gripped the wrist attached to the fist and wrenched it around, feeling the bones and muscles give under her hold as she brought her knee up to his face. His nose broke in the bone-crushing contact with her knee and he fell back clutching his face with one hand and cradling his injured wrist to his chest.

Feeling a furious arm wrap around her neck she dug her fingernails into it and threw him over her shoulder, waiting patiently for him to climb to his feet and renew the attack. A vicious upper-cut to her jaw sent her sprawling backwards and she shook her head to clear the ringing in her ears. Swinging her leg under his she brought him to his knees where he grabbed her throat and lifted her up, throwing her backwards against a tree, one hand burrowing inside her jacket as he grinned manically at her. She kicked him back and clung to the tree trunk, gasping for breath as he got steadily to his feet and advanced on her again.

"If you touch me again, I'll kill you." She hissed, her vision clouding as the Change flooded into her, she pushed it down furiously and watched him advance on her again.

He reached out to grab her waist but she was too fast, throwing the heel of her palm upwards into his nose with a brutal crack. He lay spread-eagled on the ground with staring eyes and blood pouring from his nose as her friends formed a circle around them as she fought to get her breath back.

'She killed him.'

Juno's statement rang in Ginny's head and she clung onto Draco's arm as he held her up, checking her over for any life-threatening wounds as she stared at the body before her, his hood falling off his face and revealing a boy not much older than themselves.

'How?'

Ginny shuddered and waved her wand at the body, the hood flying back over his face as she turned to Frankie who was looking green at Noah's question.

'She shoved his nose into his brain.'

There was something akin to admiration in Blue's mental voice and Ginny snapped her head up to look at him but he was already scanning the walls, a plan forming in his brain.

'Noah?'

Noah nodded at him and summoned all his power ready to disrupt the earth around the building as he had in the lake and hoping the wards would be down logn enough for them to Apparate in.

'Did it work?'

Frankie's mental voice was half question half statement as she looked at the others who were already taking in their surroundings. It appeared to have worked as they were stood on the opposite side of the walls in a large courtyard very similar to the one outside Draco's house.

'How do we get in?'

Everyone turned to look at Juno curiously and she licked her lips nervously taking a step back from them.

'What?'

'Juno dear.' Blue purred. 'You're the one of Air aren't you? Well did it ever occur to you that you may be able to manipulate the air.'

She looked from him to the other with a look of incredulous disbelief on her face. She shrugged and squeezed her eyes shut; nearly dropping out of the air when they opened and the six of them were clinging onto each other as she levitated up to the open window.

'Right, Draco, Juno, Noah; security.'

The three of them nodded at Blue and followed him and Frankie down the hallway, glad he had memorised the map Dumbledore had drawn them as the corridors were a maze of twisting passages that were badly lit. Draco turned slightly to look at Ginny who had the same furious determination burning in her eyes as she had just after reading Ivie's letter. Without looking back at him she sniffed slightly and headed purposefully in the opposite direction, her hand on the sword at her hip waiting for any sign of movement, she didn't have to wait long.

Entering a long room with floor to ceiling windows, covered in grime and thick black velvet curtains hanging off the rail, which was completely empty and irrationally reminded her of Draco's house, she saw a shadow detach itself from the walls as the door slammed behind her.

"Do we really need magic for this?"

Ginny's voice was cold and hard as it rang out through the room and Ivie grinned over at her from the opposite side, her wand held out before her.

"I kind of like the idea, all the sparks and pretty screams."

Ginny narrowed her eyes and tossed her wand onto the window-sill besides her where it rolled with a clatter against the window as Ivie did the same looking oddly beautiful in the dull light. She was in a floor-length dark green velvet dress cut in at her waist and rising into a black bodice beaded with green beads, her long hair sweeping down behind her to touch her waist.

Summoning her sword she took a step to her left, Ginny doing the same and resulting in the pair of them pacing the room in a wide circle with their swords outstretched before them.

"Do you know how to defend yourself?"

Ginny never took her eyes off Ivie as she sneered at her, her eyes plainly telling her she assumed Ginny was no threat to her.

"Do you know how die painfully?"

In a blur of dark colours the pair of them ran at each other with a loud clashing of swords and flashing of nails as Ginny sliced open Ivie's cheek as their swords met. Ivie backed away snarling and touching her hand to her cheek, withdrawing it and seeing it coated in blood she licked it off hungrily and returned to circling with Ginny, their eyes never leaving each other.

Darting at each other again their swords were mere flashes of silver as they raced around the room, fighting desperately for the upper hand as time ceased to have any meaning and Ginny blocked out her friend's concerned voices from her head. She bit back a shriek when Ivie's sword punctured her side, somehow missing all major organs but causing her side to explode in burning pain as the blade withdrew and blood dribbled down her side causing dizziness to sweep over her.

She stumbled back and Ivie smirked smugly, seeming to think she had wounded Ginny a lot more than she actually had as she backed away and wiped her sword on the curtain, her back foolishly turned on Ginny. Gasping for breath and leaning heavily against her sword as she pulled herself to her feet, her hands slippery on her sword with sweat as she crossed the room silently towards Ivie who was humming to herself as she sheathed her sword.

"You... murdered my sister."

Ivie spun around, her hand flying to her sword but it was too late; with an effort that caused her to nearly black out Ginny plunged her sword into Ivie's stomach and took a step back, easing her sword out of her and falling to her knees in pain as the door burst open and her friends piled in, freezing in the doorway and staring at the pair of them. Ivie was on her back now, blood seeping out from behind her and matting her long hair as it spread across the floor towards Ginny who was already covered in blood from her own wound as she clamped a hand against her side to try to stop the bleeding.

Draco moved first, sprinting across the room, falling to his knees and catching Ginny as she fell backwards in pain. Fumbling to feel her pulse he was relieved to find it still strong and grabbed a dagger from her belt to cut into his palm to help heal her but she was leaning away from him with a horrified look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

Ginny continued to gape at him before reaching towards Ivie with a shaking, blood-coated hand and grabbing something from the folds of her dress, she held it out to Draco who took it silently with a plummeting heart.

"Who is she, Draco?"

Draco raised stony eyes turned black to her face and tossed the shiny object over his shoulder where it clanged to the floor and rolled over to their friends, Blue stooped to pick it up. It lay glinting innocently in his palm as they all stared down at a small ring identical to Draco's signet ring.

"My cousin." Draco's voice was hoarse and he swallowed harshly, his hands digging into his knees as he tightened his grip at the look on Ginny's face.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He winced at the pain in Ginny's accusing voice and his eyes flickered from the body steadily covering them both in blood to Ginny's empty eyes bright with pain as she fought for breath and fell forwards, one hand supporting her as the other was clasped to her wound.

"I wasn't sure if it was her or not, and she hasn't been a part of the family since my father left." He added defensively, the shutters flying up in his eyes again so she couldn't see what he was thinking.

"Guys, look I know this is something serious and whatever but we need to get out of here... now!"

Neither of them turned to look at Blue whose eyes were darting from the door where faint noises of running feet and angry shouts were issuing to the couple on the floor their eyes locked.

"Come on! We only stunned the Dark Kida's so we could steal their research which we have. And if you hadn't noticed Ginny is bleeding to death, and that's a wound that will take more than her vampire blood to heal so let's move!"

At Frankie's order Draco moved over to Ginny, ignoring the burning reproach in her eyes and lifting her to her feet, catching her legs with his other arm and carrying her out of the room, her blood dripping over his arm as her face paled from the blood loss and she fought for consciousness.


	17. Slytherins and Gryffindors

A/N: you know it; only own those unrecognisable from the books

The lyrics are from 'I Believe I Can Fly' By R Kelly

Thanks for all the reviews and my beta, kneh13 of course, this chapter is dedicated to Flea who was wearing part of Ginny's outfit in town yesterday, luv ya hun! anyway enjoy =) and keep reviewin xx

Chapter Seventeen – Slytherins and Gryffindors

I used to think that I could not go on  
And life was nothing but an awful song  
But now I know the meaning of true love  
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it, then I can do it  
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it  
I believe I can fly  
I believe I can touch the sky  
I think about it every night and day  
Spread my wings and fly away

Ginny's eyes flickered open and she saw a blurry Draco framed by torchlight watching her anxiously as her head rolled from side to side on the pillow. She vaguely heard him whisper her name in anguish before sleep drowned her again and her eyes fluttered closed.

Her face was so pale the pillow looked pale yellow by comparison except for two bright spots of red on her cheekbones, the dark blue rings under her eyes and her eyes themselves that were darkened with pain to a dark black coffee colour and sparkled fever-bright. Her hair was dull red with sweat and splayed out across the pillow emphasising her pallor and reminding Draco horribly of the blood they had both been drenched in when they had first returned to school.

He himself had refused Madam Pomfrey's frantic offers of potions and healing charms to help him and had given her such a poisonous look when she had timidly suggested he get some sleep she had crossed herself and scuttled back to Ginny to check her pulse and temperature.

His own various cuts and bruises had healed except a deep cut across his left cheekbone that was only just stitching itself back together again and a black purple and yellow bruise the size of a Quaffle on his ribs.

Waking again hours later Ginny's first sight was Draco asleep in the chair besides her bed, his hand gripping hers as he slept and his head falling forward onto his chest, his hair making a violent contrast against the black of the sweater and jeans he had been forced into by Blue. She squeezed his fingers slightly and he was awake within seconds, leaning over and stroking her sweaty forehead with the thumb of his spare hand.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Ivie, I prayed so badly that it wouldn't be her which would give you another reason to hate me..."

He trailed off when Ginny raised a bruised finger to his lips and smiled when he kissed it, frantic for her forgiveness as he silently repeated the thousands of apologies and pleadings he had uttered when he had thought she was going to die, as always his face as blank as ever despite the severe situation.

"I don't hate you, Draco. I was stupid and blinded by anger and the need for revenge no one should ever have to go through..."

His lips cut her off as he kissed her hesitantly, not knowing if it was painful for her or not. It was but Ginny was so glad the burning hatred that had consumed her since she had read the letter was gone she pulled him against her in exquisite agony. He finally pulled away reluctantly and made to get to his feet;

"I should probably let you get some sleep."

He was about to turn away when Ginny's frail grip froze him; her hand was clutching his sleeve as she pulled him back towards her and onto the bed.

"Stay."

He curled up against her, his body on top of the covers as hers remained underneath and curled his body into hers. One hand under her neck and supporting her head as he stroked her hair, the other entwined with hers and pulled into her chest as her back pressed against his chest. Breathing in her scent he was so passionately relieved she didn't hate him he would have kissed Harry in front of the entire school... well lets not go that far.

-=-=-=-=-=-

"What on earth are you doing?! You can't excite the patient like that! That's not what she needs!"

Ginny and Draco were rudely awakened by an irate Madam Pomfrey yanking open the curtains and flooding the room with a harsh bright winter light to accompany her squawks.

"But it's exactly what she needs, Madam Pomfrey."

Ginny grabbed Draco so he couldn't escape and smiled innocently over at the elder woman. Draco smiled lamely at Madam Pomfrey and quickly kissed Ginny goodbye before fleeing the room at the look on Madam Pomfrey's face as her lips tightened like McGonagall's on a rampage.

Chuntering under her breath as she straightened Ginny's bedclothes and handed her another healing potion, Madam Pomfrey fixed her with a stern eye and a sudden idea came to Ginny, she had been stabbed in her mid-drift after all so it might have been done.

"Madam Pomfrey, did you do a pregnancy test when I came in?"

Madam Pomfrey straightened up with a struck look on her face before nodding and bustling about checking Ginny's temperature and pulse.

"Am I pregnant?"

Ginny's voice was small as she stared fixedly at the empty flagon on her lap, she felt Madam Pomfrey staring at her nonetheless and she breathed a sigh of relief when she removed the flagon and turned away from her.

"No."

Ginny felt a mixture of relief and disappointment at this as she eased herself into a sitting up position and winced at the sharp pain in her mid drift. Part of her was glad she wasn't going to be a mother so soon but another part was disappointed as a child would have tied Draco to her. She knew he practically was by the Prophecy and the whole Mate business but he was so gorgeous and rich how could anyone not be attracted to him and she lived in constant fear he would find someone else. She felt she had no right to expect him to be faithful when she was so lucky to have one little piece of him.

The door banging open shattered her thoughts abruptly and she turned to see the remaining Five stood in the doorway grinning.

"Darling!" Blue cried, descending on her and kissing her full on the mouth before shoving a bunch of tulips stolen from the greenhouses into her hands and dropping onto the edge of her bed.

"We came to give you gifts and whatever, but once this lot have buggered off I'll give you a bed bath." He cackled, receiving death glares from Frankie and Draco.

Noah kissed her cheek and handed her a bunch of her favourite flowers; white roses, and a box of chocolates, quickly followed by Frankie's gift of Every Flavour Beans.

"Draco, you look like you're in pain."

Ginny turned to look at Draco whose eyes were indeed darkened with pain and she hastily snatched her hand away from Noah who had been holding it.

"I don't understand that pain thing."

Juno draped herself over Noah as he slumped back in a chair besides the bed with a wary look at Draco who had taken his place besides Ginny.

"Is it any physical contact or something that's more than friendly?"

Everyone looked around at each other before shrugging.

"Dunno."

Blue looked over at Draco with a wicked glint in his eye and leaned towards Ginny smirking.

"So if I do this..."

Blue pressed his lips briefly against Ginny's who sat and stared at him but didn't push him away as she watched Draco scowl over Blue's shoulder.

"I feel like a brick's just been dropped on my head." Draco growled.

Blue grinned at him and sat back, glancing at Ginny who was shaking with laughter as she pulled a grumbling Draco down besides her.

"Well as much as I'd like to stay and make small talk I have somewhere to be."

Frankie rose to her feet and gave Blue a significant look before kissing Ginny on the temple and leaving the room, Blue following her seconds after with the flimsy excuse of studying.

"Studying." Ginny snorted watching his retreating steps. "Yeah right who's he kidding."

She jumped when Madam Pomfrey barged through the diving curtains and slammed a fresh jug of water onto Ginny's bedside table, conjuring a couple of vases and flicking her wand at the flowers until they jumped up and into the vases.

"That's it, this young girl needs rest not a circus act, get out!"

The tone in her voice was one not to be messed with and Juno got up somewhat gratefully and mumbled goodbye awkwardly at Ginny as Noah kissed her. Draco leant down and kissed Ginny lingeringly on the lips before following Juno out of the door where she was currently dragging Noah down the stairs to an unspecified location.

"Are you sure about this?"

Frankie bit her lip and looked up at Blue, the fact that he was watching her with actual emotions in his eyes made her resolve stiffen and she nodded, pulling the pins holding her hair up in a bun out so it tumbled down her shoulders in curled waves. Blue could sense she was still unsure and decided to take it slowly; she could always stop him if she changed her mind.

Blue kissed her mouth, her cheek, her jaw line and slowly down her neck, trailing his tongue down to the collar of her shirt. Unbuttoning the buttons as he kissed her smooth brown shoulder, flickering his tongue against the pulse point in her neck and feeling as well as smelling the blood speed up in her body.

Her shirt was quickly dropped onto the floor and the cool night air brushed over her bared skin as his hands went to work on her bra, his kisses didn't stop as he pulled her fishnet tights, black skirt and clumpy high heeled shoes off. When she was clad only in her black lace panties he laid her down against the cool dew-drenched grass that chilled her skin in a delightful clashing of senses as her passion-heated flesh trembled at his touch.

Leaving the teased flesh at her neck he laid his tongue on her collar bone and slowly trailed his head all the way down to her navel where a small silver belly-bar in the shape of a skull and cross-bones glittered in the rising moonlight. Pulling the charm into his mouth he swirled his tongue over it, the slight tugging sensation sending chills up her spine.

"Take that bloody thing off will you."

He sighed impatiently and helped her unbutton his shirt; several of the buttons ripping clean off as she moved on to fumble with the belt of his jeans, jamming his zip with her trembling hands. Removing her hand he lifted it to his lips and kissed it, calmly slipping the jeans off and laying down besides her propped up on one elbow as he ran his other hand over her bare skin.

What doubts she had harboured vanished as his mouth came crashing down on hers, marking her as his as his hand slipped under the elastic of her knickers and she groaned into his mouth, her tongue lashing against his cautiously as he wriggled in closer to her. Their long lashes were tangled together as her hands crept over to his shoulders, her fingernails raking across his skin as he shuddered in delight, his fingers increasing their pressure as her tentative movements increased in confidence sending shudders of pleasure down his spine.

It didn't occur to either of them that if someone decided to take a midnight stroll by the lake they would be in a lot of trouble and would be hard pushed to explain what they were doing besides the truth which would land them in even more trouble.

-=-=-=-=-=-

A week later Ginny was thankfully leaving the hospital wing, her get well gifts cards and flowers had been transported to her room all ready and she was getting ready for her first day back in the main body of the school. Sighing and once more thanking Merlin Dumbledore had freed the school two days early for the Christmas holidays, she pulled on a small black pleated skirt and a heavy studded black belt.

Shrugging into a black 'Sugarcult' t-shirt she adjusted the numerous black plastic bands and studded bracelets around her wrists and slumped onto the bed to pull on her black leg-warmers and black Converse boots. Her hair was already in two buns on either side of her head at the back and spiked up so her face was framed by the spikes, her eyes ringed in black make-up so they stood out like bush-baby's with two lines of black from her bottom eyelashes to halfway down her cheeks and her lips coated in black lipstick; yes she was in a black mood.

"Come on, Gin, Christ!"

Ginny sighed and got up off the bed, strapping a spiked black choker around her neck and pulling open her door to allow Noah, Mason, Rindy, Xander, Alyssa, Cass and a starry-eyed Frankie to survey her outfit.

"You look great."

Ginny rolled her eyes which seemed to be all pupils as she had 'borrowed' the new black contacts Noah had never even worn to complete her outfit.

"Yeah, Ron's going to shit Frisbees when he sees you." Rindy giggled, snatching Xander's wandering hand from the inside of her green blouse.

"Oh well at least today won't be a total waste of make-up then."

The group laughed before heading down the stairs towards the common room where Ron was pacing impatiently before the fire, Hermione watching him curiously while her knitting needles clicked in the firelight besides her and Harry lay full length on the sofa, immersed in 'Quidditch Through the Ages' one hand on her Cass's head from where se was sat on the floor besides him scribbling a letter to her parents.

"What is that?!" Ron snarled, indicating Ginny's skirt in revulsion, his ear turning red already.

No one answered, Hermione rolling her eyes and getting to her feet, swinging her bag over her shoulder and heading for the portrait hole with Mason and Noah.

"Did they not have a longer skirt to go with that belt?"

Harry snorted and quickly turned it into a cough as he shoved the book into his bag and got to his feet, following Hermione over to the portrait hole and waiting patiently for his best friend to follow.

"Sure they did, but I couldn't afford it."

The colour in Ron's ears flooded his face and mixed into an ugly purple flush as he stalked over to Harry chuntering under his breath.

The story of Ginny's battle wound seemed to have filled the school quickly, even by Hogwarts standards as people never stopped staring all the way down to the Great Hall. Normally she would have been slightly embarrassed by such attentions but she was pretty much past caring now and stalked along the corridors with her head held high as her friends fanned out on either side of her, beaming. Peeves had obviously been bored this morning as the entire Entrance Hall was flooded and people were wading through water up to their ankles into the Great Hall which was also partially flooded.

Slumping into a seat at the Gryffindor table Ginny was well aware that the subject of almost every conversation was her and she was proud to say she honestly didn't care. She piled her plate and ate quickly before dragging Noah complaining out of the room for some gossip. They were at least ten minutes early for one of the rooms open to the students to gossip in to open and Ginny shuddered and huddled deeper into her t-shirt, watching as goose bumps crawled along her bare legs at some unknown fear.

Her nervous eyes darted from side to side, taking in the dark mahogany panelling surrounding her and Noah and the heavy oak door to her left. The cold that was invading her body and seeping into her flimsy skirt and t-shirt was forcing her to move, as though something had taken control of her trembling legs she crept forward, cursing her wet shoes as they squeaked wildly against the grey slabs of marble beneath her. As her numbed fingers edged along the door feeling dents and scratches beneath her fingers she felt another surge of sudden dread surround her and tried to pull herself away. Her shaking hand, however, decided not to follow her bidding and gripped the ice-cold doorknob, silently twisting it until her Professor swept down the stairs and tapped the door with her wand where a notice appeared;

This classroom suspended until further notice, all students that should use the time to study.

The professor nodded at Noah and Ginny before sweeping off towards the staff room leaving the friends to stare at each other dumb founded before Noah grinned and dragged Ginny up towards the Room of Requirement which was serving these days as a kind of room for everyone to hang around in since the entire school now knew where it was.

With a last uneasy glance over her trembling shoulder, Ginny followed her friend up the wide sweeping stairs and along endless corridors, past classrooms filled with chattering students happily comparing notes on what they were wearing and who they were taking to this year's Yule Ball tomorrow and grumbling over the amount of holiday homework set. Ginny stopped briefly as a group of giggling fourth year girls stampeded out of a nearby classroom and began to talk rapidly about their individual dates, comparing bright wizard photographs of their idols and comparing the seducing techniques they were going to use at the Ball. Ginny frowned as she realised she didn't have a date for tomorrow before hurrying past after Noah who was talking animatedly to himself, not having noticed she wasn't there yet.

"Here is as good a place as any/"

The pair paused outside a room halfway down the Charms corridor before a voice called out to them and they spun around to look at Juno who was bustling over with Blue and Frankie in tow.

"I wouldn't; Peeves has just dropped a bag of Dungbombs in there."

Ginny looked at Noah who was staring shyly at Juno before shrugging and following the group back down to the dungeons towards Juno's room.

"Make yourself at home."

Juno disappeared into the bathroom as the others flopped onto the dark blue silk four poster bed, chattering idly while Ginny stared around in awe. The walls were painted a rich ruby red while gold stencilling around the top, her dark blue bed was draped with rich crimson silk pillows at one end and an assortment of cushions in various blues, reds and golds at the bottom. There was a very pale gold carpet covering the floor of the room and her chest of drawers and wardrobe were a very dark blue with gold stars scattered on them randomly besides the huge window framed by blue curtains trimmed in gold.

Returning from the bathroom and seeing the look on Ginny's face, Juno explained her wonderful choice in décor as she dropped into a heavy scarlet armchair and draped her legs over the arm, looking as though she was made to fit in this room in a long tight t-shirt that fell to mid-thigh and black tights covering her legs, her platinum hair twisted up in a clip at the back of her head.

"I live in Russia with my uncle for three years when I was nine before I came here and I loved the décor of my room there so much I did what I could to recreate with shoebox you're given here."

Ginny slumped down on the floor with her back against Noah's legs and stared around; it really was absolutely breath taking.

"It's beautiful; I still haven't painted mine yet even though I have all the stuff."

Ginny turned to Frankie who was sat on the floor opposite Blue with their legs entwined; she seemed to have taken a great liking to Juno now she was no longer a threat to Frankie and Blue.

"Well it's not like we're doing anything."

Ginny nodded and they got to their feet, swiftly making their way to Frankie's room. On their way Frankie paused and deliberated for a second before turning to the others.

"We made need more help."

The others looked at each other before Juno nodded and turned to Ginny with a wary smile; she wasn't sure how the Gryffindor felt about her and didn't want to seem too bossy.

"If you knock on that door there, it's the sixth year boy's dormitories, just tell them I sent you and they'll come and help."

Ginny nodded and waved for the others to go on without her as she knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened. Expecting some thug similar to Crabbe and Goyle to answer she did not expect a sex god to be leaning in the doorframe.

A tousled head of black curls, stylishly mussed up appeared and, Ginny being smaller, when she looked up she was staring into the biggest blue eyes she had ever seen. Staring into the heavenly face she seemed to lose her voice.

"Who is it, Chance?"

A voice called out from the depths of the room as the boy folded his arms and leant against the doorframe with a seductive innocence.

"Dunno, she doesn't seem to be able to talk."

His voice was lightly mocking and reminded her of Draco, the thought of him pulled her out of her trance as second boy appeared besides Chance with a curious cry of;

"She?!"

This boy was a complete contrast to Chance, he had dark blonde wavy hair that fell into place perfectly without any need for gel and sludge-green eyes in a pale round face. Glancing from one to the other Ginny noticed Chance had large, gentle lips and a small snub nose whereas the other boy had a long pointed nose like a fox and a small wickedly smiling mouth.

"Quite cute, doesn't look wild enough for me though. Is she a statue or something? She doesn't seem to be moving, pull her hair or something."

As the blond boy reached out to tug on a lock of her dark red hair she grabbed his hand and spun him around, forcing him onto his knees and pulling his arm up his back. Chance gave a shout of laughter, his big eyes scanning Ginny whose features were contorted in concentration. He laughed again and she released her grip on the boy who scrambled to his feet, not looking the least bit embarrassed or put out, but looking wildly excited. Obviously this little wild child could take care of herself, something Slytherins rated very highly.

"I was sent here by Juno to get your help."

Her voice was bored as she crooked back the fingers of her left hand to study her black-painted nails.

"Ah, I recognise you now; you're the Weasley girl aren't you."

Ginny scowled at him as she nodded and he amazed her by holding out a hand for her to shake; a Slytherin being civil to a Gryffindor?! Ginny shook his hand as he introduced himself as Chance and the blonde-haired boy as Leo who was still watching Ginny's body unashamedly.

Entering Frankie's room they found tins of paint laid out ready in a smooth mint-green colour and a pale silver-grey by different sized brushes and rollers.

"The Muggle way?"

Ginny glared at a complaining Leo before nodding and handing him a brush;

"Much more fun this way."

-=-=-=-=-=-

After hours of hard work during which Draco had dropped by upon hearing Ginny was there and sat in the corner not lifting a finger to help as he watched Ginny laughing and joking, flicking paint at Chance and Noah which triggered off a furious paint fight which miraculously didn't mark the walls, the room was finally done.

The walls were a beautiful green with the Chinese words for love, beauty, wealth, truth, loyalty, bravery and honour stencilled in silver paint around the top of them, the chest of drawers was now pale grey like the wardrobe and Juno was still busy skilfully arranging the silver curtains that framed Frankie's bed and windows. Leo was busy straightening the emerald and silver striped bedspread and arranging the silver, grey, jade and olive embroidered cushions.

Turning to the left Ginny saw Chance arranging a painted bamboo arrangement in an almost man-size moss-green vase on the floor in the corner, the little lights embedded in the bamboo twinkling in the fading sunlight. Standing back to survey their work the lot of them exchanged brief hugs of congratulations, shockingly even Chance and Leo, not that they had much choice after Ginny grabbed them and hauled them into the group.

"Well, aren't we getting on well."

A cruel voice filled the room and Ginny shuddered as she turned and saw a small girl looking very like a banshee with dark red lips, pale skin, huge dark eyes and a sheet of pure black hair falling to her waist. Her clothes enhanced the appearance as she was clad in a short black skirt that emphasized the pallor of her pale legs and a tight black blouse buttoned up so it only just contained her breasts.

"Allegra, babe! I didn't see you at breakfast." Chance cried, stalking over to the tiny figure and hugging her, dropping a kiss on her perfectly smooth white forehead.

"And you weren't there at breakfast, presumably because you were helping these, Gryffindor's."

The words hung in the air like poison and Ginny felt a hand slide into hers comfortingly and she squeezed it, leaning back against Draco's hard muscular chest gratefully.

"Who was that?"

When the two of them were finally gone Draco dropped into a silver armchair and Ginny climbed onto his lap, swinging her legs over the arm and absentmindedly playing with his hair.

"Liana Connelly, evil little whore." Juno answered bitchily, obviously no fan of the girl and making no qualms about displaying it.

"Ever since she seduced Chance he's been spending more and more with her rather than us."

Ginny watched Juno curiously as she flopped onto Frankie's bed alongside Frankie and propped her legs over Noah's.

"Too true, love." Leo muttered, deeply immersed in Juno's diary which he had dug out of her discarded backpack and was now flicking through it with one hand as he massaged Juno's feet with his other.

"Even though she's a beauty freak..." Juno continued, writhing under Leo's expert caresses on her feet.

"Who'll get a sick note for a dislocated eyelash." Leo interrupted, increasing the pressure on her feet until Juno could feel her breathing getting more laboured and she exchanged a passionate eye meet with Noah who wasn't looking put out at all at the fact that his girlfriend was being turned on by a different guy.

"Indeed, anyway she's tough and you don't want to cross her."

The uneasy silence that filled the room following this statement was so cold that even Leo closed Juno's diary.

"Come on ladies, and Leo, time for dinner."

Draco shot Blue a look as Ginny laughed and climbed off his lap, dragging him to his feet and following the chattering others from the room. It didn't occur to her to mind that the sight of a group of Slytherins and Gryffindors heading down to the Great Hall together, not only without insulting each other but three pairs of them holding hands and the rest of them chattering as though they'd been friends for years would be disturbing to the rest of the school but it plainly was.

The halls seemed to freeze as the students packed into them paused and stared at them, Ginny clutching Draco's hand and whispering into his ear, Blue and Frankie just behind them with their arms around each other and Juno and Noah with their arms linked. Leo chattering away to Alyssa, Rindy, Mason and Xander who had just joined them and were gradually liking the Slytherin no matter how hard they tried not to.

They entered the Great Hall as one big group, not in the least bit fazed when it completely froze, cutlery clashing onto the tables as people dropped them, the Golden Trio gaping as the Slytherins joined Ginny and her friends at the Gryffindor table where the conversation steadily began to flow again. To Hermione's extensive knowledge a Slytherin had never once sat at the Gryffindor table, at least willingly and now there were four sat there being friendly, well to Ginny's friends at least, they weren't even looking at anyone else.

"You did this."

Ginny turned to look at Draco who had an expression on his face she couldn't identify, his hand found hers under the table ad she squeezed it, letting him kiss her briefly on the lips.

"Did what?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her and she felt herself flush, trying to ignore the Golden Trio's gaze fixed on her.

"Do you think us Slytherins enjoy sitting her at the enemies table? The only reason we're here is because of you."

Ginny shook her head and indicated Blue who was nose to nose with Frankie and Juno who was keeping Noah's hand from scuttling up her thigh under the table.

"Well maybe not just you, but think about it, would we have been here if you hadn't brought your friends to mine?"

Ginny bit her lip and turned to look at her friends all happily gossiping about the ball the next night and she felt a swell that felt suspiciously like pride bubble up inside her, maybe Draco was right, maybe she had done something good and done it right for once.


	18. A Violent Warning

**A/N**: same old, only own characters not recognised

The lyrics at the beginning are from a song called 'Constantly in Danger' by C Murder

Well people I have just uploaded the first chapter of my new fanfic, Sacred Heart, it features a slightly darker Ginny and a Draco and Harry actually on to civilised speaking to each other, plz plz go check it out and review plz?! Will puppy dog eyes help? Now as you can see I won't be leaving this halfway finished I'm continuing it as we speak but there isn't much left anyway, another two or three chapters I'd say. Anyway gotta go enjoy =)

**Chapter Eighteen – A Violent Warning**

The world is mine cause I'm in it,

And danger means no limit  
The world is mine, fool, cause I'm in it,

My veins pump no limit  
The world is mine cause I'm in it,

And danger means no limit

"I can't believe we're having another dance, we had one for Halloween, why do we need one for Christmas? And what is the point in making it a masked fancy dress ball?" Noah grumbled, glaring at Xander's handsome reflection with grudging respect.

"Who knows, gives the girls something new to talk about anyway."

Noah laughed as pulled on his pale green velvet blazer over his black cords and frilly white shirt and tried in vain to make his hair stay out of his eyes.

"What time does this thing start again?"

Mason looked up from his copy of 'Undercover Witch' and glanced at the clock on the wall before burying himself in the magazine again;

"Seven."

Noah snorted and flopped onto the bed next to him so he could see the magazine over Mason's shoulder.

"Six fifty, so another half hour until the girl are ready then."

The three boys laughed as Ron and Harry marched into the room, Ron looking thunderous. Xander opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but Noah stamped on his foot and shook his head.

"Guys, what the hell are doing? You take longer than us?!"

The boys looked at each other before shrugging and trudging wearily down the stairs towards the Common Room where their selective dates were waiting for them. Frankie was stood before the fire tapping her high-heeled foot on the floor with one hand on her hip; her hair darkened by a spell fell in curled waves down around her shoulders and glowed black and red in the firelight. Her eyes glittered behind the pale blue mask that covered her eyes giving the impression of a cat.

"Erm... Noah, what exactly did you come as?"

Noah glanced over at Frankie who was trying desperately not to laugh as she took in his appearance, from his frilly shirt to his pointed black cowboy boots that made a loud clunking noise with every step. His mask was jet black and pointed at the edges, making his eyes seem bigger and darker.

"A vampire."

Deciding not to press the matter any further Cass turned to Xander who was somehow looking remarkably handsome in nothing but a loincloth, although looking closer Cass could see his red boxer shorts underneath.

"Where's Rindy?"

Cass was about to answer when Rindy herself appeared in the doorway of the stairway that led to the girls dormitories in a very short wrap over skirt and boob tube made of the same material as Xander's loincloth, her hair falling around her face in a dark cloud. Her mask was identical to Xander's, leopard print shaped as two paws.

"Tarzan and Jane, nice."

Rindy beamed at Harry who was dressed tonight as a knight in shining armour in a chain-mail shirt and a pair of shiny silver pants contrasting against his very dark grey mask, ignoring her brother her was eyeing her outfit icily.

"Don't even bother, Mason." She warned when he opened his mouth and he glared at her, for once actually heeding her and shutting his mouth.

"What are you meant to be anyway?"

Mason made an indignant noise at the back of his throat and looked down at his outfit as though checking it was still there. He was clad in a pair of dark blue cords tucked into a pair of knee-high dull scuffed black boots, a dark grey shirt hanging loosely around him somehow in an attractive way and a long black cloak studded with pictures of clocks and hourglasses and sundials. His mask was pure white with lines where numbers would be on a clock in the little section the mask covered.

"Father Time, obviously."

Rindy rolled her eyes before eyeing him beadily as something occurred to her. Crossing the room she kissed a blushing Xander on the lips and linked arms with him.

"Who's your date, Mason?"

Mason actually blushed and looked down at the floor as the answer became evident. Strolling through the goggling group of friends, Alyssa wound her way towards Mason and kissed him on the cheek. Her dress swept the floor in dark moss-green silk, cut in at her waist and moulded to her breasts, the long lace sleeves of the same colour reaching far past her hands and her long hair twisted up in hundreds of little braids all over her head behind a tiara made of rosebuds. Her face, shoulders and hair were streaked with smears of black, browns and greens and a chain of miniature silver leaves circled her waist identical to the two dull red leaves that formed her mask.

"Father Time and Mother Earth."

When the group had regained their voices they went back to checking each other's outfits as they surveyed who they were waiting for.

"Ron."

Alyssa's sudden voice broke the silence that had fallen on the group and Ron jumped before looking at his friend with a defiant expression on his face already. She shrugged and didn't take it any further.

"Finally!"

Ron snapped out of his reverie when Hermione descended the stairs and the group watched as her his face softened slightly at the sight of his girlfriend, his jaw was still set though as she kissed his cheek and took his hand.

"Tights, Weasley?!"

Ron spun around as Draco and Blue descended from Noah's new room where they had been changing, the girls' breath catching at the sight of Draco.

He was clad in straight black leather trousers, a black silk shirt, heavy black dragon hide boots with silver metal heels and a long black cloak embroidered with silver skulls and scattered with silver words in Latin. His hair was slicked back from his face, two braids on either side of his face fading into the rest of his hair that was weaved with black strips and scattered with silver beads. He was also wearing a pair of black gloves that matched his shining black mask shaped as fire, and a great deal of black eyeliner and a heavy silver cross around his neck.

"So let's see, we have..."

Mason was ticking off the couples on his fingers as he watched everyone climb to their feet.

"Ginny and Malfoy as Aphrodite and Hades. Alyssa and myself as Father Time and Mother Earth. Harry and Cass as a knight and a damsel in distress..."

Cass grinned at him as she got to her feet, her long gold dress ripped and artificially singed as though she had just fought a dragon and her hair falling out of its long braids, smudges of ash on her cheeks and bare shoulders and an ash coloured mask with flecks of burns across it.

"Noah and Juno as vampires."

Juno rolled her eyes as Noah hastily checked his reflection once again, she smoothed her scarlet corset top and black leather mini skirt down, her long hair dyed ebony for the night and falling sleek and straight over her shoulders, her mask matching Noah's but the eye holes shaped slightly more like a cat's.

"Ron and Hermione as Romeo and Juliet..."

Mason snickered as everyone hastily fought to keep their faces straight, Ron glaring mutinously down at the floor as Hermione tightened her grip on him trying to calm him down. She had practically forced him into the red tights that went with his old fashioned outfit and was aware his outfit complimented her pale blue dress as perfectly as hers complimented his, their masks were simply extensions of their outfits.

"And Frankie and Blue as day and night..."

Cass at her friends, enveloped in each others arms and she turned away as she saw Blue's long fingers creep up Frankie's pale blue toga, one of her shoulders left bare and painted dull gold to represent the sun. Her hair was twisted up into a bun with a few wispy curls escaping and fluttering around her face, her eyes the only part of her besides her lips that were made up with lots of black eyeliner and gold eye shadow that brought out the glittering colour of her eyes against her mask.

Blue was clad in a pair of black jeans, a grey shirt and a long black trench coat covered in silver dots representing stars. His hair was weaved with silver strands and feathers and his mask was two smears over his eyes that looked as stunning as it did odd against his dark eyes.

The group looked at each other one last time before turning and sweeping out of the room, Ginny going unnoticed as she watched them from the shadows of the girl's dormitories. She didn't want them to see her just yet as Ron would kick off about her outfit and she also wanted to make an entrance.

Retreating up the stairs she hastily pulled on her outfit and checked her hair, which had been lengthened with a simple spell Hermione had taught her the week before, and make up one last time.

"You look stunning!"

Ginny's heart nearly exploded when a voice filled the room, startling her and making her blow up a chair by the bathroom door in a ball of fire and smoke.

"Noah! Don't ever do that again you moron!"

Noah raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes, holding her arms wide for her friend's approval as he eyed her thoroughly finally nodding and hugging her.

"Come on, I've been sent to fetch you."

Ginny took the arm he was offering her and let him lead her down the stairs towards the portrait hole.

"Who sent you, Ron?"

Noah scowled and shook his head as they clambered out of the hole and headed down the deserted corridors.

"Draco. He threatened to; I believe the words were; rip my spinal cord out, strangle me with it and then start to hurt me."

Ginny snorted with laughter as they reached the top of the marble stairs that led to the Entrance Hall which was now deserted, everyone else already seated inside. She could see Draco at the back with Blue, Juno and Frankie as they waited for the pair of them, Draco's foot was tapping on the floor and he was grinding his jaw, he was so impatient.

Indicating to Noah that she would make her own way down he shrugged and kissed her cheek, quickly entering the room and taking his place besides Juno where he was promptly verbally attacked by Draco's queries.

Ginny took a deep breath and descended the stairs, her high heels making dull clicking sounds as they struck the marble, she pushed the Great Hall's doors open fully and the entire room froze. All eyes turned to her as she stood framed in the doorway, looking around at her friends and fellow students, even Snape had stopped making snide comments about Harry to Lupin who was sat on his right.

Throwing her head back she stared back haughtily, daring anyone to now question why she was Draco Malfoy's girlfriend, if that was what she was. And indeed the gossips that had doubted her were silenced as they looked her up and down, noting the greedy looks on their date's faces.

Her hair fell in a wavy mass down her back almost to her waist, littered with white rosebuds and golden gems and ribbons. The firelight of the torches that were the only source of light for the moment in the Great Hall and the Entrance Hall illuminated the curls and seemed to dim by the second as her beauty flourished, her hair flowed down her back rather than hung and shone as though the light and fire themselves had been braided into her hair.

Her skirt was pure white, shot through with silver and gold that shimmered in the light and fell sweeping to the floor, trailing slightly behind her from just below her hips. There were two long slits from the floor up to mid thigh on her legs that revealed her high-heeled Grecian sandals glowing gold in the firelight and strapped up to her knees. Her top was a thick backless strap made of the same material that stretched across her breasts with sleeves that fell off her shoulder down to her elbows, twisting from her underarm in a semicircle under her breasts to her other arm where it fell in another semicircle behind her at the small of her back.

The gem in her navel and silver stick-on body designs in the shape of hearts and cherubs glittered in the fire light and her body was covered in silver glitter hearts and wings. The top of her hair was beaded with jewels and fresh flowers in the three thick braids that looped from the front of her head back to the crown of her head under the small golden tiara and faded into the rest of her hair flowing down her back like liquid fire. Her eyes were circled in silver glitter, her mask only a golden extension of her eyes with flicks almost to her hair lined with silver gems at the corners that lengthened her eyes and turned them an almost yellow-gold colour.

A butterfly made of silver gems was stuck onto her cheekbone on her left cheek and her lips were coated in shimmering lip gloss, her bare navel, face and shoulders dusted with gold dust that caught the light making her whole form seem to glow. One of her hands was outstretched as she held the door open for herself and the room could see a gold bangle at her wrist that wound around her arm to her elbow, another was on her opposite arm but that was just a bangle on her upper arm. Around her long slender neck was a gold choker with serpent etched into the oval front just under her chin, it seemed to flicker in the firelight and the room shivered.

She didn't look to either side as she made her way towards the Five at the back and eventually the sound returned to the room as she took her seat besides Draco who was for once lost for words.

"Jesus Christ!"

Ron glanced up from his plate to see Seamus goggling open mouthed at something behind his head, looking to the side he saw Harry gaping as well with a curious look in his eyes Ron couldn't quite identify. Seeing Cass and Hermione looking rather smug about something he spun around, only Harry's lightening reflexes stopping the crystal goblet shattering on the floor as it slipped out of Ron's grasp.

"Is that Ginny?"

The question was darting around the room as the figure in the doorway crossed the room towards a table at the back and all eyes seemed to turn to look Ron as he watched her. Ignoring their looks he waited until dinner had finished before dragging Hermione over to their table and dropping down into Juno and Noah's discarded seats. He was just about to open his mouth when Draco leapt gracefully to his feet and pulled Ginny onto the dance floor.

"You look amazing."

His voice was soft against her face and she looked up at him crossly from his embrace as they danced.

"You don't need to sound so surprised, its not very bloody flattering."

The amused look on his face made her unwillingly smile and she scowled at him with her eyes instead.

"Your brother looking like he swallowed a lemon at the fact that you're dancing with me isn't very flattering either."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him and chanced a glance over his shoulder at an incensed Ron who was dancing with an increasingly wintry looking Hermione not too far away.

"Do you really care?"

She returned her gaze back to Draco as she asked, already knowing the answer as he pulled her closer against him for the slow beat now filling the room.

"Not in the slightest."

Ginny shook her head laughing and nestled it against his shoulder, swaying to the beat as she watched Snape and McGonagall dancing stiffly to their right, standing about a foot apart with McGonagall's hand clamped stiffly on Snape's shoulder and Snape's hand balancing awkwardly on her waist. They were looking anywhere but at each other and Ginny grinned at a passing Dumbledore, who was spinning Madam Pomfrey out of his embrace then back into it, as his eyes met hers and followed her gaze to the two teachers, flicking back with amusement sparkling in their depths before he moved on.

'What are you looking at?'

Draco's voice was irritated in her head and she looked up at him soothingly, aware she was bruising his ego by not melting at the fact she was in his arms slow dancing which was exactly where nearly every girl, Slytherin or not, wanted to be as they shot furious glares in Ginny's direction.

'The future, I think Snape and McGonagall have some unresolved sexual tension left over from their school days.'

Draco snorted with laughter and turned discretely to look at the two professors who were definitely edging closer no matter how much they tried to hide it.

'Think we should expose them?'

Draco's voice was wicked with laughter and Ginny gazed up at him, once again reeling at how attractive he was. He had the look of a fallen angel; all fair hair and fair colouring with the naughty, sly personality and sharp tongue he most likely got kicked out of heaven for. She marvelled once more at how anyone as beautiful and vibrant and exuded such sex appeal could want her. She tried over and over again to convince herself he only wanted her because of the vampire lust burning inside him and she shouldn't fall in love because she'd only get her heart broken but she couldn't help it; the reasons she supplied herself with for his caring about her never seemed to work and she always came back to the conclusion that maybe he did like her.

'It would take the heat off us I suppose.'

Draco looked affronted and promptly spun her out the length of his arm before pulling her back in as the pace of the music picked up, her hair and dress flying and only just keeping her decent.

'Best not then, I thrive on being centre of attention you know that.'

Ginny laughed and copied his movements, he was a wonderful dancer! He had the lean body that could slip into any beat and move perfectly in time, his body writhing like a snake's as he moved and his muscles rippling under his skin. Seeing her watching him his eyes met hers and their paces matched as they danced together without touching, the mysterious bond that had developed between them over the last few weeks bringing them together in a way they only experienced during those passionate moments when they each abandoned the façade the public saw and they joined completely, in heart, mind, body and soul.

"Forgive me, Draco, but I just have to cut in... come here angel."

The look on Draco's face would have had anyone else running as fast as they could in the opposite direction, but Blue took no notice as he swiftly butted Draco out of the way and swept Ginny off across the dance floor.

"That outfit should definitely not been allowed in public."

Ginny rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder, noticing vaguely that Chance and Allegra were dancing nearby as Han Solo and Princess Leia.

As the song ended she drifted back towards Draco who was stood by the long table lined with all kinds of drinks, Draco handed her a glass of punch which smelt strongly of Firewhiskey and she was just taking a sip when a scream rose over the music from the centre of the dance floor and the music cut out with a loud screech.

The crowds parted so there was a circle around whatever had caused the commotion that widened into what looked like a huge rip through the crowds. Ginny edged forward, unconsciously dragging Draco along with her until they could see what had caused the scream.

In the centre of the crowd was a tall woman with skin even whiter than Draco's and a sheet of hair like black water flowing from her thin face down to her knees, her lips were outlined in red and her eyes flashed black like coals in her white face making Ginny shudder as she took in the simple piece of black silk that fell from her shoulders to mid-thigh, covering her extremities, just.

"Tomorrow, your lives will be forfeit for the greater good; of course it may not be your good."

Like her voice the smile she gave was cold and cruel, the giggle she gave was sharp and seemed to cut into Ginny's brain and she winced.

"I am simply a warning, sent by the shred of mortality left in the Great One. Consider yourselves lucky it is more than others will get."

She let out a harsh shriek at the end of this statement, her voice shattering every window in the Great Hall as every person in there clasped their hands to their ears and ducked as though they could physically avoid her soaring scream.

Ginny's brain was exploding, arrows of pain darting into her eyes and ears from inside her head as the shriek went on and on, seeming to fracture her very skull as agonised tears rolled out of her eyes. She was vaguely aware of Draco clutching her to him when suddenly the pain stopped, her head ached as though a building had been dropped onto it but the sharp exploding pain was gone, when she looked up so was the girl.


	19. All Endings Have Beginnings

A/N: yeah yeah only own the unrecognisable characters

Well my dears this is the end, last chapter of this fanfic but I just started another one woo so fear not, its also another Ginny and Draco one which is obviously my favourite pairing but I plan on doing a Ron/Hermione one as well sometime, in fact I already have the idea for it somewhere. Anyway hope you enjoyed it! R&R plz! =) cheers xx

Lyrics at the beginning are from 'If Only Tonight We Could Sleep' by The Cure

Chapter Nineteen – All Endings Have a Beginning

If only tonight we could sleep  
In a bed made of flowers  
If only tonight we could fall  
In a deathless spell

If only tonight we could slide  
Into deep black water  
And breathe  
And breathe...

Then an angel would come  
With burning eyes like stars  
And bury us deep  
In his velvet arms

Ginny looked around the room they used for training at the Five chattering aimlessly with their other friends as they waited for the bell to ring signalling the carriages were ready to take the remaining students to Hogsmeade for the emergency train home and felt the most wonderful feeling of belonging she hadn't felt since before Hogwarts.

Since the appearance of the strange girl last night the dance had been cut short but for once no one was gossiping, they didn't want to know what the girl meant and going home early was a welcome distraction. Right now Juno and Frankie were cheering on Noah and Blue who were playing a very loud game of wizard chess in the corner, Leo, Chance and Mason were playing an equally noisy game of Exploding Snap in the centre of the cushions between the sofas watched closely by Allegra. Rindy and Xander were saying a very passionate goodbye, that included a vigorous use of tongue, in the corner while Alyssa and Cass giggled over an article in Witch Weekly about Cass and Harry's relationship on the window seat.

"What are you thinking?"

Ginny didn't even jump when she heard a voice in her ear and an arm snake around her waist; instead she turned in the embracing arms to look into a pair of mercury eyes that were for once softened and a pale handsome face surrounded by a halo of white-blond hair.

'Can't you tell?'

He smirked at the voice in his head and leaned down towards her, blocking off the entire room so only the two of them could hear what he was saying. Ginny turned a violent shade of red at his thoughts and lowered her eyes to the floor.

'Ginny?'

She looked up at him when she heard the slight hint of nervousness in her head and she cocked her head to one side as she studied him from under her lashes.

'I want you to come and stay at the Manor, some time.'

Ginny bit her lip and looked sideways down at the floor, she did want to go so very much but what about her family, her brothers would never forgive her for spending Christmas with the enemy over her family. The feel of his warm hand splayed across her bare hip made her shudder with pleasure and she looked up at him once again.

'I want to, but holidays are for family and...'

She trailed off at the look on his face and sighed, why was it so hard? Why did she have to choose between them anyway, if they could only get along together...?

'Draco, what if you came to stay with us?'

Draco snorted and raised a pure blond eyebrow at her as she considered her suggestion and flushed.

'And get smothered in my sleep by your brothers? Well I suppose your family could stay at the Manor, there's more than enough room...'

Even before the words had actually left his head for hers he regretted saying it, all Christmas holidays with the Weasley clan?! But a spark of hope had flickered in Ginny's eyes and he couldn't back out now.

'Even Harry and Hermione?'

Scowling Draco looked down at the floor and nodded, feeling his heart rate jump as he felt her hand on the back of his neck pulling him towards her.

'Thank you.'

He didn't answer as she pressed her lips against his, his mind automatically switching into the kiss and cutting off all his thoughts as he drowned in her.

The pair were rudely shaken apart when the floor began to tremble violently, dust and bits of rock falling from the ceiling and the walls as the people throughout the room screamed and clung onto each other. Finally the floor steadied and Draco pulled Ginny to her feet as his friends surveyed each other for damage, Draco himself had a cut across the right side of his forehead that was steadily leaking blood into his eye.

Ginny winced as a pain shot through her side and glancing down saw a small cut just above the scar of her wound making blood seep into her tight white vest top. She lifted a surprisingly steady hand to her head where another small cut was covering her hair, left loose around her face, in blood. Pulling back her hand she saw blood mixing with her black plastic bracelets and studded straps and shuddered, wiping her hand on her baggy black combat pants and testing her footing on the cracked floor.

"What happened?"

A croaky voice rose over the dust filled air as several figures got to their feet from amongst the rubble, Alyssa and Cass limping over to Ginny and Draco with their hands clutching their heads.

"It felt like some kind of explosion."

Blue as always was taking the lead and checking everyone near by him for injuries as he grabbed an elastic band from his pocket and tied back his hair, revealing a nasty looking cut down his temple that dripped blood steadily onto his jade green shirt. Frankie held on to him as he pulled her to her feet and Ginny winced at the vicious looking cut down her friend's left thigh just below her dust streaked white skirt.

Ginny felt a streak of pure fear dart through her and her eyes met Draco's; was the war starting? As soon as the thought occurred to her she pushed it out of her mind and helped Leo to his feet, his arm seemed to have been broken as he was holding it at an odd angle and was dish-cloth grey in the face. Chance stumbled to his feet besides his friend and lifted a thoroughly shaken Alyssa back up off the floor where she had fallen at the mention of the word explosion.

"Is everyone ok?"

Various shouts of confirmation rang out through the room along with a lot of colourful cursing as wounds were bound with bits of ripped clothes and the group gradually centred by the door, everyone accounted for and at least able to walk.

"Where do you think the explosion was?"

The group looked around uneasily until Ginny made a timid suggestion;

"There is a way to find out."

The other Five immediately clamoured in her head trying to stop her as they saw what she was planning and she clapped her hand over her ears in pain. Once the noise had died down she retreated into the centre of the room with the entire group watching her warily, she knelt down on the miraculously untouched cushions and held her hands out in front of her, Alyssa clicking on to what she was doing and slapping a hand over her mouth.

"A Vision Charm."

Realisation fluttered around the group as a red orb appeared in the centre of Ginny's hands and began to rotate, spinning faster and faster as it grew until they could make out a vision of the Entrance Hall in its centre. There were about thirty students and at the most five teachers being roughly picked up off the floor by hundreds of hooded figures, figures Ginny recognised with a sinking heart as the same ones that had frozen the room the day of her kidnap.

Squinting her eyes in concentration she moved into the Great Hall where a dozen other students were already shackled to the walls by bright gold chains that glowed green with every movement and seemed to bite into the captor's skin if they tried to struggle. At the very top of the Great Hall where the teacher's table usually was there had been erected a huge red throne, the huge intricately carved back rising high over a head of long black hair, huge cold eyes scanning the hall with glee as a regal white hand waved and received a cup of warm blood from a hovering minion.

"My lady, all students and teachers are accounted for besides the Six and a couple of insignificant..."

The low sneering voice was cut short by a scream of agony as the harsh black eyes short fiery sparks, her hand was once more in the air but this time dragging the snivelling minion closer as she pincered his brain with burning darts of fire.

"But... my lady... they are Her friends."

The minion was dropped and he scrambled away before getting to his feet and bowing low again as she smiled and clapped her hands gleefully.

"Oh goody, more friends to torture."

She drummed her feet on the floor like an excited little girl and Ginny felt thoroughly sickened as she took a delicate sip of the blood, staining her purple lips with red.

"We have to do something..."

Ginny looked up from the spell briefly to see Alyssa looking greener by the second as she watched the scene playing out before them. The orb abruptly disappeared as Ginny got to her feet and they turned to stare at her warily, there was a fire burning in her eyes even the Change couldn't bring and her very skin was rippling with tensed muscles as she clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides.

"You're right; first we need to get everyone out."

A distinctly proud look was exchanged between Blue and Draco as they watched her pacing before the window, there were no thoughts of being found as the tower they were in was only known to those standing in it, the Golden Trio and Dumbledore and Snape.

"OK, there's fourteen of us, that should be enough..."

Her mind was working furiously as she went through plans in her head, working out who would be better rescuing and who would be better fighting.

"Enough for what?!" Allegra demanded loudly, still managing to look perfect despite the dust in her hair and smearing her cheeks and clothes.

"What, you plan to sit here and hope they die of boredom until someone comes looking or us?!"

Allegra didn't blush at the sarcasm; she merely narrowed her eyes at Ginny and lifted her chin haughtily. Ginny rolled her eyes, gave a satisfied grunt and went back to forming some sort of a plan.

"Right here's what we're going to do, those that know how to fight with a sword or their fists to one side everyone else on the other."

The group looked at each other before obediently breaking apart; Draco, Blue, Noah, Rindy and Mason on the same side as Ginny, the others standing awkwardly on the opposite side.

"OK, now the ones who can fight with swords are going to go after Kendra... shut up Allegra."

Ginny's voice was icy cold when Allegra opened her mouth to disagree or complain or something and to everyone's surprise she closed her mouth and remained silent.

"The rest of you are going to go for the other students and teachers and set them free."

Ginny glanced inquiringly at Alyssa as she timidly raised her hand as though in a lesson and she nodded at her to speak.

"Sorry but if the teacher's couldn't fight them off what makes you think we can?"

Ginny regarded her silently for a moment before shrugging;

"All you'll have to deal with are a few minions who should be easy to despatch with a few well placed hexes, then you need to release the teachers who can help the fight while you set the students free. We'll be keeping Kendra away from you."

Alyssa nodded and looked down at the floor, Ginny could tell she was absolutely terrified and she didn't blame them; Kendra was more powerful than even Voldemort could ever hope to be. But surprisingly she wasn't nervous herself, a cool icy calm had settled over her leaving her head free for planning and sensible thinking while the others panicked.

"Now, it's me she wants so I'll go in first and lead her away for the fight..."

When every person in the room, with the exception of Allegra, complained loudly and worriedly either vocally or telepathically, Ginny held up a hand for silence and they room gradually fell silent.

"She doesn't want me dead, not yet anyway, if that was all she wanted I'd have been dead long ago. No she wants me for something which is good, it will keep me alive long enough to distract her while you lot get everyone out."

Ginny vaguely realised she was beginning to sound like Harry and she grinned at them all before dispatching the rescue group over to the fireplace area so they could plan while her group headed over to the windows.

"I'm not happy about this."

Was the first thing out of Draco's mouth and Blue agreed fervently, diving straight into a speech on why she shouldn't do it in her head until she slapped him on the arm to shut him up.

"It will be fine, as long as you lot can keep her little guard things away from me while we fight we should be alright. She doesn't want to fight me with magic that would be too easy; she'll want to test me using a sword."

The group looked at her funnily and she shrugged, slumping down into the window seat to plan.

-=-=-=-=-=-

'Are we ready?'

Both groups nodded at her from their separate positions throughout the Entrance Hall as Ginny gave the order for them to take their starting positions. She once again marvelled at how lucky they were that Alyssa knew complex spells that could help in situations like these, charming everyone so they could hear each other telepathically was genius if only temporary.

Signalling with her arm Ginny crept closer to the door, her hand silently pulling her sword out of its sheath as she moved, her ears pricked listening for any movement and her Changed eyes darting into every corner for the movement of even a shadow. Nodding at her group they charged into the room, startling everyone besides Kendra who looked at them as if they were no more than ants crossing her path. Ginny watched as her friends engaged in a furious battle with the minions that rushed forward to protect their mistress, wincing every time someone was slightly hit and inwardly cheering them on.

When most of the minions had been killed or injured enough not to pose a threat anymore she entered the room, watching as Kendra's eyes flickered as she rose to her feet. A jet-black sword engraved with silver appeared in Kendra's hand and Ginny took another step towards her, her eyes never leaving the sword for more than a few seconds as she glanced at Kendra. More minions were closing in and her friends immediately leapt to her defence, keeping a tight empty circle around the pair of them as they took slow deliberate steps anti-clockwise.

In a flurry of movement Kendra darted forward and Ginny deflected her blow like lightening, making sure she kept enough distance between them to avoid a long rally as their swords flashed in the light from the ceiling and candles still hovering in the air. When she came close enough Ginny thrust her spare fist at Kendra vaguely, her left hand not being as good at anything as her right, but she felt it connect with something hard which she discovered to be Kendra's skull as she took a wobbling step back with a hand to her eye.

Somewhere along the line Ginny noticed the second group barging in with their wands held out, proving to be more useful than ever as Leo thrust his into a minions eyes who promptly collapsed onto the floor screaming in pain. More and more people were joining the fight as they were released from their bonds, the dark blue blood of the minions' splattering the walls and every person in the room as they bit, scratched and clawed at everything they could get hold of.

Ginny's inattention was rewarded by her old scar re-opening when Kendra thrust her sword into her mid-drift. Pain rocketed through her body as she bit back a shriek but she didn't fall, she kept her balance as blood seeped down her side turning her shirt to red as it soaked into the material. She staggered forward and feebly clashed her sword against Kendra's, the pain clouding her mind and dulling her reflexes as Kendra gleefully pranced around her trying to exhaust her.

Eventually she collapsed onto the floor, her legs unable to hold her and the room abruptly fell silent, every eye in the place turning to the pair in the centre as Ginny pressed a hand to her side in an attempt to slow the flow blood. Her face was deathly white at the blood loss and her body felt slow and strangely detached as if it wasn't her but somebody else she was watching.

Kendra bent over her, her breath stirring Ginny's hair as she whispered into her ear;

"You join us."

Ginny was opening her to refuse when her eyes widened and her slow brain caught up with the look in Kendra's eyes, she wasn't going to kill her after all; she was going to Turn her.

Kendra lowered her mouth slowly to Ginny's neck, her breath hot on her fevered flesh and Ginny felt the scratch of her fangs as they nudged her skin searching for that perfect spot. She was so weak and tired she was about ready to just give in and let her take her, but not yet. Using every ounce of stress she could find Ginny reached out for the discarded sword Kendra had dropped, stained with Ginny's own blood. Her fingers scrabbling over the stone as in slow motion she felt Kendra's grip tighten on her body as she prepared herself to bite into her flesh.

She felt the sharp fangs penetrate her skin and an urgency came over her, her fingertips just touched the sword's handle and she used her remaining energy lurching forwards to grab it, slightly unsettling Kendra who was happily suckling away at Ginny's neck, frantic to Turn her to her side by taking away the last of Ginny's mortality.

Ginny, however, was having none of it; the sword was finally in her grasp and she let out a heavy grunt of pain as she thrust it up into Kendra's heart. Kendra tore herself away from Ginny with a piercing shriek of agony as she fell backwards off her prey, Ginny struggling to push herself away from her as the blood loss took its toll and she fell back weakly now whiter than death itself. Draco darted forward and dragged Ginny out of the way, once more cutting open his hand and holding it to the wound at her neck.

"Help!"

His composure was out of the window as the other Four rushed forwards, one thought in all their minds as they each slit open their palms and either pressed them against Ginny's neck or her abdomen which was still bleeding profusely.

"Is it working?!"

Ron was frantically trying to escape a stricken Harry and Hermione's clutches as he tried to get to his sister, but he froze at Alyssa's whispered words and turned to look slowly down at the group around his sister; not sure what they were doing but suddenly positive they were trying to help, even the Slytherins.

Dumbledore gently pushed the crowd out of the way as he hurried over to Ginny, her blood splashing up the bottom of his midnight blue robe scattered with constellations as he knelt down besides her, Madam Pomfrey at his heels. The pair of them conversed in terse voices for a few moments before drawing back as Ginny was helped to sit up slowly, her eyes darkened with pain.

"Ginny?" Ron whispered weakly, barely noticing Hermione had collapsed in his arms sobbing frantically with relief as Harry patted an equally sobbing Cass on the back awkwardly.

Ginny looked up at her brother and smiled faintly, her face still paler than ever against the dark of the blood covering her neck and seemingly her entire body. She got to her feet and wobbled unsteadily, a dozen pairs of hands ready to catch her if she fell but she waved them away, still clutching the sword in her hand.

Looking down on Kendra, covered in her own thick black blood, she pitied her slightly. But the pity soon faded when she saw the number of students, her friends, that were injured or dead and her face hardened. Lifting the sword above her head the entire crowd took a step back with a loud intake of breath; she brought the sword crushing down and in one swift blow Kendra's head was rolling around wildly as more of the thick black blood oozed out of the neck.

A girl screamed as the head rolled towards her and she kicked it away frantically, nearly crying until Snape grabbed it by its hair and wrapped it in a discarded cloak. Ginny looked up at Dumbledore whose face was expressionless, but she was sure she detected a slight glint of pride in his eyes as she tossed the sword onto the floor with a loud clang and took a step back, falling into Draco's arms.

"Cut the heart out, fill the hole with garlic, burn it all."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at her instructions but nodded nonetheless, enlisting the other professors' help in removing the body from the Hall. Draco wrapped an arm round Ginny's waist as hers slipped around his neck and he helped her walk towards the Hospital Wing, practically carrying her as she leaned against him.

Helping her under the crisp clean sheets he watched as Madam Pomfrey gave her a Blood Replenishing Potion before scuttling off to help the others who had been injured, the Infirmary had never been so full as students with minor injuries sat on beds crammed between others or out in the corridors and those that had taken Healing lessons with Madam Pomfrey in their last year were dashing about healing cuts and treating minor injuries.

Looking around Ginny thought the school had never been so united as students from every House bustled about helping others, Gryffindors and Slytherins sitting together and bandaging each other's wounds as they chattered about the Prophecy which was now public gossip somehow.

"I suppose you can't wait to get home for Christmas." Juno said, sitting on the end of Ginny's bed nursing a broken wrist.

"Tell me about it, I'm going to walk through every room in the entire house and celebrate the fact that I'm actually there to do something so stupid." Noah joined in from his bed next to Ginny's.

"Well I plan on playing Quidditch until I fall off my broom." Blue added cheerfully from his bed on the other side of Ginny as a blushing fourth year took his temperature.

"Well I..."

The group fell silent immediately as Ginny spoke; she had reached a status further up the social queue than even Draco and Blue and was now seen as something of a hero by the entire school, even the Golden Trio.

"I plan on falling into bed, locking my door and sleeping until Christmas day when I shall open my presents with my family before flying over to the Manor and spending the remainder of my holiday sleeping there."


End file.
